Forever Clockwork
by CultOfStrawberry
Summary: To the world, Albert Wily is just a mad scientist bent on world domination. However, as the Wily Robots know, there is more to their father than this. This is a story about his quest for immortality, robots having souls, and science because... SCIENCE.
1. I

**Forever Clockwork**

**I**

I've been a Mega Man fangirl for a long time. The first game I ever played was MM3 and that was nearly 20 years ago, and since then have played MM 1-7, as well as MMX 1-3 and the Game Boy games. I know there's a lot more MM games than this, but I'm a old-school girl at heart and haven't played any of the games on a platform more recent than SNES though I do know the general storylines of the future Megaman series.

I used to watch the Ruby-Spears cartoon as a kid, and I've also seen the Upon a Star OVA. In my opinion it would have been nice if the OVA had Mega Man as a real person, like the Ruby-Spears cartoon, instead of escaping from his game to the real world, but I still liked the anime. I saw a few episodes of Megaman NT Warrior but I didn't like that as much.

I love the Megamix/Gigamix manga, and hope that the rest of the mangas will be brought here stateside soon enough. I also love the Archie Comics series, it's interesting to note the difference between this and the manga. Quite honestly, I like both written incarnations, so I borrow from both. This story starts shortly after Megaman 7.

I like Wily's appearance in Megamix/Gigamix the best, so that is what I am going to use for this story. I mean, come on, that skeleton tie is so pimp.

Thanks go to Draven, for being an incredible friend (and a kickass Wily) and also LadyDais for encouraging me to write this and being my beta. She also has a Megaman fic, 'Flower Garden' which can be found here on FFN, I recommend it.

I made myself famous for my Zutara fics in the Avatar: the Last Airbender fandom. I know there's not as many people in the MM fandom, but I hope that this story can still be enjoyed for what it is. Needless to say., Megaman does not belong to me, and is the property of Capcom, Archie Comics, and etc. Feedback is much welcome and appreciated.

o0o0o0o

Albert Wily listened with half a ear to the screen as he lifted the precision welder from Shademan's arm, and glared at the display, seeing footage of Megaman. _How pathetic_. Again, the humans of the world placed all their hopes in Megaman. Dr. Light wanted peace between people and robots, yet without fail, he sent Megaman to fight, and he continued to see robots as something to serve humans. Thomas Light might think he was... kind to robots, but he still encouraged exploitation of robots that had shown themselves to be sentient, just because they were not humans. Bah!

He looked back at Shademan, replacing the panel on his arm, covering the circuitry that he had just modified and upgraded, increasing the Noise Crush's effectiveness. His armor would also need an upgrade, the weakness against Springman's weapon had been rather surprising, but could be remedied.

Who else would have done that? Anyone else would have thrown away these robots, taken them apart for spare parts or recycling, but he fixed them, and they were better company around his fortress than bumbling human idiots. No one appreciated his genius... so he would just keep it to himself. Bah! Between the 'bots and his other work, he had plenty to keep his hands full... but his life was still lacking. He was depressed and grumpy, especially after his most recent defeat. He would soldier on as always, but he did have his ups and downs, just like anyone else.

The doctor rose to his feet, answering the grumble in his stomach with a cup of instant noodles before he sat down at his desk. He had plenty of ideas running through his head for various projects, whether they be new or upgrades, but at the moment, he didn't feel like opening his laptop to document these ideas. Sometimes paper and pencil did just as well, especially in the first stages, and he could just fool around with doodles.

As he opened one of the desk drawers, an album slid to the front, carried forward by the momentum of the drawer being yanked open. Ah, what the hell, it'd been a while since he'd looked in here, hadn't he? With a wry smirk, he placed it on his desk and opened it. The first page contained a magazine clipping encased in the clear plastic.

It was one from over thirty years ago, when he and his former colleague had been in their post-graduate days, having just successfully completed their first AI project.

He glared at the picture of Light and himself with the first robot they had ever made, the two of them standing there triumphantly behind the robot, their arms hooked together and their fists raised in the air in triumph. How different they had looked back then, Light without his beard and himself with a full head of hair and no mustache. Sometimes he wondered why he still kept this picture around. Sometimes he wanted to tear it up. But it was a reminder of where he had started, and as much as he hated to admit it, Light was a brilliant scientist in his own right, just look at Megaman. He could bear a grudging respect towards his former colleague if nothing else, and part of him did enjoy when they had joined forces to work together, like making Gamma, or fighting the Stardroids.

Sometimes it was amazing how two people who had been such good friends could go off in opposite directions, he mused with a wry smirk as he picked up the picture, glancing at the robot, its design so simplistic and primitive compared to what his more recent projects, especially Bass and Treble.

The next pages contained various articles and news clippings. this one considerably more recent than the first. He frowned thoughtfully as he looked at this picture and the young woman that smiled up at him.

o0o0o0o

Shadowman appeared at the door, knocking gently before he slid into the room.

"Wily-sama?" he asked, wondering why he had been summoned. He did not miss the fact that his master had the old photo album on the desk, open.

Albert W. Wily could be cantankerous, egoistic, arrogant, petty, and short-tempered. The world knew he was a flawed man. Shadowman knew there was more to the scientist than perceived insanity and repeated plots for world domination. Nobody could ever claim to know all the mad scientist's secrets, but the ninja robot had been with him for a long time, and had observed the doctor more than once in moments of contemplation like this.

Despite the mad scientist's professed antipathy for the human race, there were a couple of people in his life that had made an impression on him, and whether or not the old man wanted to admit, he shared bonds with them. With Dr. Light, it wasn't hard for Shadowman to understand why. But the woman was a mystery. Shadowman had seen her image a few times, but the doctor had not deigned to speak of her to anyone.

o0o0o0o

Wily's treasured son had received an upgrade to his abilities with the technology the mad scientist had been able to glean from the remains of the Stardroids he had gotten his hands on. It enhanced Shadowman's ability to move through the shadows, and created a sort of portal within the shadows that made it easier for the ninja-bot to take himself or others through. If anyone was worthy as a recipient to such an upgrade, it was Shadowman, and so far the doctor had never come to regret that decision.

o0o0o0o

Lydia Ytinfini gave a low groan as she slid off her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she tried to not breathe in the scent of her boss' cologne. The odor lingered even after he had left her office, and she opened the window. It might only overlook the parking lot, but it gave her much-needed fresh air.

As she sat down at her desk again, she placed her glasses back on as she glanced through the first few pages of the file that had just been placed in front of her. Next project to work on, oh boy. From another bored client who was too lazy to go out and spend the time getting to know and interacting with a real person much less waiting for sex. She muttered to herself as she looked at the client specs. Most of it was garden-variety – well, at least for this subset of the robotics industry – though there were quite a few kinks. Despite her time here, she could not help but roll her eyes.

She threw the file in the top drawer, she would look at it closer tomorrow. Right now all she wanted to do was get out of here. This job might have paid decent money, but as far as personal fulfillment went... well, her job was fulfilling the wishes of others, to hell with her own, eh?

People liked to talk about machines serving humanity, but many didn't think about the fact that machines had to come to life by human hands.

As soon as she entered the refuge of her apartment, she locked the door and slid over to the worn sofa, unaware of the uninvited guest lurking in the shadows. She tried to banish all thoughts about work and her unpleasant boss, but that was easier said than done, especially after a long day. Her hand was also aching, and she massaged it, feeling the scarred skin through the black material of her glove. Stress often triggered both phantom and nerve pain, and it had been a long day, with doing the final check on her most recent assignment and then the meeting. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, continuing to massage her hand, hoping she would not need to take pills, they always left her foggy and she wanted to focus on her own private project. It'd been a while since she'd worked on it and the sooner she could finish it, the sooner she could quit her job and make a real name for herself.

She opened her eyes, running her fingers through her wavy black hair, thinking about the next step in her design, entirely unaware of the robot that was observing her. After a few moments, she sat up, unable to ignore her pain. As she did, the shadows moved, and she stiffened as she saw an figure approach out of the corner of her eye. Her first thought was that it was a burglar who she had inadvertently interrupted when she came home, and she tensed, ready for a fight. She blinked in surprise as she registered the fact that it was a robot.

Not just any robot, but a Wily Number. Or at least, a copy of it, she surmised as the ninja-bot gave her a slight bow, the shuriken on his forehead flashing for a brief moment in her eyes as it caught the reflection from her lamp. What was he doing here?

"Lydia?" he asked as he straightened himself, towering over her. She hesitated, wondering if she should lie, but before she could answer, he continued. "I have been sent by my father to offer you a job."

"... So you're _the_ Shadowman? DWN-024? And the father you're referring to is Albert Wily?" she inquired cautiously. She kept herself apprised of the advances in the field of robotics, and had studied the designs of the Robot Masters, or at least what knowledge was available to the public, so she was easily able to recall the numbers.

"That would be correct."

She took a deep breath, fighting down her curiosity. "You can go home. Life sucks enough without being in prison, so no thanks. I won't be involved in anything illegal, especially yet another mad scheme for world domination."

A small laugh made its way past the mask that obscured the lower half of his face as he fixed his deep violet eyes on her. If she didn't already know he was a robot, she might think he was a real human, from hearing that laugh and looking into these eyes. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. I was told to bring you one way or another. I'm terribly sorry, please do not hold it against me."

"I said no." she said, rising off the couch. It wouldn't be the first time Wily had someone kidnapped, she remembered the news about Dr. Cossack forced to build Masters after Wily had kidnapped his daughter Kalinka. "Now go away." She was determined to stay calm and not freak out. She remembered her time with Wily, she had enjoyed working with him. Him deciding that world domination would be a more worthy pursuit had been a surprise to her. She was alert, ready to run as she turned away, keeping him in the corner of her eye.

He moved with an amazing speed, his hand on her arm in a firm but gentle grip, his robotic strength ensuring she couldn't break free. "You'll be coming with me." he said softly, stepping closer to her with a frown, one arm going around her waist. "I want to see my father smile again."

For a moment Lydia remembered a conversation with her former mentor about how robots could have souls. It was an hot subject in the robotics community, whether it was possible for a robot to have a soul or not. Her job involved advanced AI's and building and programming robots who were supposed to stimulate various human responses and attitudes depending on each assignment, and also programming in certain restrictions and fail-safes. She would say that in these robots, no soul existed and probably never could.

But she'd never interacted with a robot like Shadowman personally, and from the way he laughed, or spoke of his father's happiness and the way he glanced at her, she could swear that this one had a soul of his own, somewhere under the advanced technology that made up his person. She blinked as she quickly looked away from the robot's face, remembering her situation and trying to yank away from him, kicking him in the shin as she did so – and yowch, that hurt her foot! She gave a small yelp of pain and frustration.

She found herself lifted off her feet as he turned, his arms cradling her body in such a manner that it made her kicks rather limited.

"This may be unsettling. Please bear with me." Before she could ask what he meant, the shadows seemed to shift around him before they plunged into the darkness.

The rational part of her mind marveled at this ability, what had Wily been doing these years, at least besides sending his Masters to wreak havoc? If the military had such technology... Her thoughts were interrupted as bright lights replaced shadows, and she looked around to see what was obviously a lab.

And there he was, the infamous doctor himself. Albert Wily looked a bit older than before, his hair now more wild, but there was no mistaking him. He had on black clothes and a tie with a skeleton pattern, and a white lab coat stood out in contrast against the rest of his attire. She was lowered to her feet by the robot, though he maintained a grip on her arms. The doctor spread out his arms in the way many would when greeting someone and inviting them into their house.

"Welcome -"

"You! I don't know what the hell you're thinking, but you can't do this to me!" she yelled before he could finish his greeting.

He frowned, giving her a rather hurt look as he shook his head. "I try to offer my dear apprentice a chance to resume her studies with the greatest scientist that ever lived, to escape the dead-end mediocrity of life and watching robot's slave away for heartless master's that throw them away, and she's so mad. I really am hurt." He said as he walked closer.

She would have backed away if Shadowman wasn't holding her, she glared at him fiercely. "I will have nothing to do with your insane plots for world domination! Take me home now!"

Albert leaned down and gripped her jaw tightly and forced her to look him in the eyes as he leaned in closely, his nose nearly touching her own. "I am _not_ insane." He said with a frown, his face tightening a bit.

"Your constant and FAILED plots for world domination say otherwise." she shot back, feeling Shadowman squeeze her arms a bit, as if to ask her to calm down, and Wily let go of her jaw.

"You can't believe everything the media tells you."

"So the media's lying, huh? About you kidnapping Kalinka Cossack, about you stealing Light and Cossack numbers and retrofitting them, the ones you built yourself, the damage they have caused, and all that? It's all the fault of the liberal media, or some conspiracy by the Jews?" she jeered

He laughed at that and shrugged as he stepped back. "Some of that's true, but whatever. You think I care about what the media thinks of me?" he asked with a sneer.

"Of course not, not when you can program your robots to like you, with that, who cares what anyone else thinks."

"I see your wit is as acerbic as ever." Wily retorted as he glared at her. She had to fight back a smirk.

"There's more where that came from. I'm not a little girl, nor do I have any loved ones for you to threaten."

He gave a wry smile at that. "So?"

She looked away.

"You were a brilliant student." he said after several moments of silence. "The best and brightest of them all..."

She stared at him for a moment, blinking once before she replied, "Thank you." She had graduated with top marks at the Technology Institute, but unlike others, did not draw attention to herself, she left that to ones like Thomas Light, Mikhail Cossack, or Noelle Lalinde. Almost as if he had read her mind, his words cut through her thoughts.

"But I have yet to see something from you. I expected some groundbreaking invention or piece of technology..."

"I'm fine with others taking the limelight. I'm a private person." She didn't have enough money to establish her own lab, nor did she want to ask for grant money for one, since that would mean that whoever supported her would in part own whatever she invented in their lab. She had been saving her money and buying a part here and there as well as building her own, working on her designs with the plan that one day, she would have enough money to realize her ideas. Course, she wasn't about to tell this madman that.

"... So." He glanced at her. "What were you planning to do with your life? Continue making these custom-built robots for people with too much money and not enough social skills?"

"Look who's talking. At least the robots I build don't wreak havoc!" she said as her head snapped back up, her gray-green eyes fixed on his own in open challenge.

"At least I have fun with building them, and now I have my own loyal army of Robot Masters."

"At least I'm a law-abiding citizen!" she shot back, and even before she said the last word, she knew how weak that argument was – Wily wouldn't give a shit about that. And she was proven right as he laughed.

"Here, I am the law."

"I'll have the law on your ass so fast -"

"Shademan." Wily snapped his fingers, and her right ear was assaulted by something that sent a wave of vertigo through her. If not for Shadowman holding her arms, she would have collapsed to the floor, and it took her several moments to orient herself as she turned her head, seeing something purple at the corner of her vision before she figured out what – or who – it was. DWN-055, a Wily Number despite not having been created by the mad scientist in the first place. She had seen him just once before Wily had stolen him, he had been created for use at an amusement park. She couldn't focus on the vampire-bot's face well though, as the lights were jumping around her.

_Whoa_. Her head lolled a bit as she tried to steady for herself, and she felt the grip on her arms loosen, causing her to sink to the floor on her knees.

"I'm not going to hurt you, but I will not tolerate disrespect." he stated. When she looked up at him, he was almost a silhouette against the lights above his head. "That was a low-level Noise Crush. No damage to your hearing, but you can see the effect it has on the inner ear."

She was tempted to try to kick him, but she was still dizzy, and she knew that one of the robots would stop her before she could do any serious harm. If that was a low-level attack, she didn't want to know what a high-level one could do. She managed a slow nod.

"Good." She felt her right arm being grasped, her hand hanging limply as Wily lightly squeezed her forearm. Despite the light above his head, she was able to make out him looking at her gloved hand, and she balled it up into a fist, or at least as much as she could.

"Did you have a hard time finding a job with this?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him, feeling the sting of the pointed question. Many people assumed that with the damage to her hand, she couldn't do quality work because so much in science, at least the physical aspect of it, required two steady hands.

"I manage." she replied evenly. She had learned to compensate even before she got to college, and had proved herself more competent than most of her peers, and Wily knew well enough how well she was able to work, from her time with him. Thankfully, he released his grip on her arm.

"And I manage my best to save these robots, doesn't mean people appreciate the effort."

"When you send your robots to wreak havoc, YEAH, it's hard for people to appreciate your efforts." she shot back angrily, trying to rise to her feet, and barely managing to do so. A wry chuckle met her ears.

"I know Shadowman told you why he was at your place."

"I told him no, as you probably figured out."

"What, you'd turn down the opportunity to work with me again?" He placed his hand over his heart, making a dramatic gesture of being hurt by her comment. "To have the privilege of being mentored by the most brilliant scientific mind in the world!"

She had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at that. Looks like being a mad scientist brought a big ego with it, but then, attempting world domination was a pretty ballsy move.

"I want nothing to do with you." she replied icily.

"Looks like you need to learn a lesson in respect." he said with a scowl.

"Don't talk to me about respect, old man!" As soon as she said the last word, she fell to her knees again, reeling from another attack of vertigo.

She took several moments to orient herself, thankful Wily wasn't saying anything at the moment because she just couldn't focus on anything except for the fact that the world felt as if it had been turned upside down. When she looked , she saw him looking back down at her, his hands folded behind his back.

"If I had known how you'd turn out, I never would have applied for that interview with you!" she said, purposely aiming that barb at him just to piss him off. She heard a sharp intake of breath before he turned away from her.

"Is that really how you see it? Our time together was just a waste to you?" Though he wasn't looking at her, and his voice was neutral, she detected hurt in there. So villains did have feelings other than anger or superiority, huh? Oddly enough, she felt a pang of guilt.

"... No. I was just saying that to piss you off." she admitted. "I just... back then, I never would have imagined that you would do what you're doing."

He looked back at her with a faintly wry smile. "Neither did I, but this is what I want."

"Fine. If this is your goal, I can't stop you. But I don't want a part of it. Please, just let me go home. And I won't tell anyone about this." Yelling at him wouldn't work, but he was a scientist, so maybe he would listen to reason. Hopefully.

She was wrong, she quickly realized when his smile was replaced by s frown.

"You really do need to learn something."

"Don't be telling me I need to learn something, you're not my teacher anymore!"

His cheeks took on an angry flush. "You bitch!"

"You fucking bastard!" she yelled right back, about to take a step towards him before Shadowman grabbed her arms. She refused to be intimidated, and continued, "You may be the boss of these robots, but you're not the boss of me!"

"I think you need some time in the tank to think." Wily said as he snapped his fingers, and she felt Shadowman start to drag her across the floor.

"You're a weak old man, you need your robots to handle a lady? Ha!"

Wily could not help but smirk at that, following her as Shadowman moved swiftly to one side of the room, where a tank that looked more like a pod awaited. "You have quite a spirit, that's one of the things I like about you. I hope the tank doesn't break it." he replied with a devilish grin as he pressed his hand to the side, lifting the top of the tank to reveal a black space inside.

In her research, Lydia had heard of tanks and pods, of course, sometimes used for therapy, other times for torture. It was anybody's guess what extra features a mad scientist would put in there, and she gulped nervously.

"Gee, thanks for the concern." she said dryly. "If you're so worried, why put me in there?"

"Because..." he started with a frown, as he started readying the tank, "You need time to think."

"You could just put me in the corner." she half-joked, remembering how her mother had done that to her when she was little. He snorted as he turned back to her.

"Just think of this as the worst corner ever."

Despite the situation, she actually laughed a little at the retort. However, she resumed her struggle as Shadowman started to move again. Another well-used Noise Crush, and she was on her knees, unable to fight as she was stripped of her outer clothing and hooked up with an IV that would provide both fluids and a paralytic.

She blushed as Wily looked at her, wanting to cover herself, and glad he wasn't having her stripped naked. She was in a black bra and panty set, along with a magenta tank top, and she knew he could see her blush as he touched her arm to insert the needle. The antigrav field cushioned her as she was placed in there, though it wouldn't have mattered if there was a surface since she couldn't have felt it. The last thing she saw before the lid closed was his smirk. If she could reach up and slap it off his face...

The taste faded from her mouth as she tried to make out something, anything – a sliver of light from the seam of the tank, an indicator light somewhere, the glint off a wire, but she could see or hear nothing in here. She wasn't even sure if she could speak as she could feel nothing not even if whether her mouth was open or closed. Well, not entirely nothing, she was fairly certain she could feel the beat of her own heart, but then, it was so faint she could just be imagining the rhythm.

What could she do? Unless the drug wore off, she couldn't feel around and look for something to use to escape. She was virtually a prisoner in her own body, and she didn't know for how long she would be kept in here. Many would have panicked, and she did for a little bit, but she calmed herself down by focusing on numbers, something she usually did to clear her mind.

2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 4096, 8192, 16384, 32756...

o0o0o0o

"Is that what you really want?" Shadowman asked as he glanced over at the tank while Wily walked away from it. "You know I respect your decisions, but what if she tries to sabotage you?"

"I've already anticipated that, but I'm sure she's smart enough to not try that." he muttered. His former student could be rather sassy back then, but she was brilliant. Some time to think should acclimate her to the situation.

"Very well." The ninja-bot bowed his head, he would be keeping an eye on the woman to make sure she did not harm the doctor. It was one thing to have another human in the lab as a hostage, and Wily had been fair to Kalinka, but the girl hadn't been expected to help with the robots. Shadowman had observed various behaviors in humans. Though his father was often a difficult read, the ninja could see that this Wily held this young woman in high esteem despite their recent argument.

o0o0o0o

Five Years Ago, Year 200X

Lydia Evans was in her last year at school at the cusp of attaining her PhD, just a few credits away from her degree. Since this was one of the top institutions in science, it had received an unique opportunity for a scientific magazine. The graduate students would have a chance to interview one of the robotics greats – Light, Cossack, Lalinde, and Wily – and write an article for the magazine. It was supposed to be about the older generation teaching the younger, though Cossack and Lalinde could hardly be considered old.

To be considered for an interview, you had to write an essay to the one you wanted to interview. Light was the most popular one, naturally, but she had selected Wily. She made sure to attend as many special lectures and conventions as she could, and Wily had been her favorite speaker. Much to her surprise, he had chosen her, and now here she was in the office of Light Labs, about to have an interview with Light's partner and assistant.

As she approached the door, she saw a picture next to the door. It was of a considerably younger Thomas Light and Albert Wily, with their first AI project, smiles of triumph on their faces, though Light's was wider and almost more boyish, especially compared to his partner's triumphant smirk. The robot in the picture looked like a toy, especially when compared with the current robots being created. It was amazing how technology could evolve...

The clock on the wall said there were just a couple of minutes left to 3 o'clock. She glanced at the clock and then back at the image, it was one she'd seen a couple of times before, especially in one of her textbooks from college, since these two were basically the forefathers of the AI technology used in this world.

And now she was going to have an interview with one of them. She took a deep breath, checking herself in the reflection of the glass panel of the door. Her wavy black hair was held back with an indigo band, and a shirt of the matching color peeked out from her black jacket. Not too casual, not too formal... she hoped.

She lifted her good hand to knock gently on the door, and after a couple of seconds, it opened. The tall, almost lanky scientist looked at her before flashing her a brief smile and motioning her inside.

"You are Lydia Evans, yes?" he asked. She nodded.

"Good afternoon. Doctor Wily. It's a pleasure to meet you." she said as she looked at him. His mustache was a bit bushy, a hint at what the years would bring, though his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She glanced around, seeing what many would have expected in such a space like this, computers on the desk, blueprints here and there, diagrams on the walls.

"Please, sit down." He gestured to one of the swivel chairs as he closed the door.

"Thank you. I'm really honored you chose me out of all the applicants, it was such a surprise. I've been to all your special lectures since I started school."

He nodded as he moved over to his desk, sitting in the chair behind it and leaning back, propping his feet up on the surface. She glanced at the wall behind him, seeing sketches of a robot design, 'Gamma' written on one of the papers.

"I have noticed you here and there, it's hard to find one with such passion for robotics without money in their eyes. It was refreshing to read your essay."

She smiled at that, blushing as she did so, flattered that he remembered her from his lectures. "Thank you. I know my view on robotics differs from most other people. So many people see robotics as nothing more than something to make their lives easier. I see it as something more."

One sharp clap filled the air as he leaned back in his seat further, crossing one leg over the other as he grinned at her before spreading his hands, motioning at all of his projects." It's a passion! A desire for something better! That is why you are here." he said with a smirk.

"I thought it would be more fun to interview you. I'll be honest, I actually... feel like your views are more similar to mine than they are to Dr. Light's. He's a nice guy but his view of robotics and what it can do for the world..." She thoughtfully frowned and shook her head. "So many people think he's right, and I don't think he's _all _wrong, but I think his view is a little...narrow... Please don't tell him I said that, though!" she quickly added

Albert laughed at that. "Oh, I understand, he thinks of how much good our robots can do for humanity, but that's not right. It's how much good they can do for the world that matters." He said with a chuckle before standing. "Now, what would you like to ask me?"

She smiled and pulled out her cellphone, glancing at him questioningly. He nodded and she turned on the recorder before placing it on the desk. "I guess this might be a pretty obvious first question, but what made you decide to go into robotics?"

He stroked his chin for a moment before answering. "Well, I always saw those movies and toys and thought, 'I could do that. I could fix that, it's all wrong.' So I started studying, learning everything I could, doing my own research, then I met Thomas during our days in college, it turns out, I could." he said with a smirk.

"And what do you see in the future of robotics?"

He eyed his plans and smiled to her as he stood and started to pace circles around the room. "Things like true intelligence instead of manufactured, and machines that feel as we do." He said with his hand crossed behind his back.

"Are you worried about the implications of that? Like what if robots try to take over the world?"

"Robots taking over the world? I can't imagine we'd ever treat them so horribly to drive them to that." he said with a dry smirk.

"People have a wide variety of views of the application of robotics. Some of them are rather... well, unsavory." If a robot with advanced enough AI was abused and mistreated by its masters, and knew that kind of treatment was unacceptable and illegal against a human person... well, she could see how _that_ might end...

"Well, you seem to understand my point exactly. And I doubt that if people mistreated robots like that, there would be anyone ready to stand up and protect them."

She nodded at that. "Some people see fit to mistreat animals or exploit them because they cannot speak for themselves or they're not on the same intelligence level as us, and to them this is a convenient excuse. That is the same mindset that would lead them to exploit a robot, even a sentient one. If a robot had a mind of its own instead of mere computer programming, even..." She paused, "A soul, for lack of a better word. I think animals have souls, and robots could too, in certain circumstances." She stopped herself. "Eh, you probably think that's crazy. People think I'm weird if I start talking about souls in robots." She grinned sheepishly.

He grinned at that. ""No, no, not at all, I too believe that the right to a quality of life is not merely the domain of man. Be it a soul, sentience, however you see such things."

She gave a sigh of relief, this was the first person she'd come across who didn't look at her funny for talking about souls in robots. "And what do you think about cybernetics? Is it possible?" she asked. Though pacemakers, cochlear implants, hip replacements, and other artificial parts existed, it was far from the cybernetics one saw in science fiction. That didn't mean people didn't try today, but no one had yet been able to break the barrier between flesh and metal, to be able to meld the two, to make a metal part truly part of oneself.

"Of course, robotics work on electricity, same as the nerves in the human body, it's simply a matter of properly interlacing the two frequencies." he said with a rather warm smile.

"And no one has been able to manage that!" she shot back, but in a good-natured way. She was silent for a moment, thinking about her scarred hand and how useful a cybernetic hand might be. Said hand rested in her lap, hidden by the glove. people thought she was weird for always wearing the glove, but she would rather deal with that than deal with the looks of shock or pity when they saw her mangled hand. "You make it sound so easy. but of course, easier said than done."

He smiled ruefully at that. "Well, I suppose finding a good way to interface with the wires without causing damage or rejection is important." he admitted with a shake of his head.

"It's hard enough to transplant organs, if a body can reject a flesh and blood organ..." She shrugged. She asked him several more questions, liking him more and more, she had been so nervous at first, but the conversation came naturally and she learned a few things from him. Finally the interview was over. "Thank you again for picking me, Doctor Wily. It has been really nice to talk to you." She offered him her hand, and he took it, shaking it with a firm grip.

"I could say the same. Just out of curiosity, what is it you plan to do after you complete your degree?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment. "I'm not quite sure. I'm still deciding on that."

"I suppose you intend to take Light's seminar to complete your course." he said. Light was teaching the class next semester, and it would give her the credits she needed to graduate. It was for the most advanced students, and the chance to take a class from Light was one very few would turn down. Still, she didn't really want to take it. Not because she had anything against Light, but she'd been to his lectures and read his papers, and she didn't feel like she had anything to learn from him that he wouldn't be teaching at the seminar.

"Yes. There's not much else I can do to get my degree." She gave a brief shrug, and he smirked.

"Here's an idea. Light's seminar will include having his students work in the lab with him. Why don't you work with me instead?"

She stared for a moment, processing this bit of news, realizing this was an enormous opportunity. He's already shown by the interview that she could learn much from him, and who knew what else she might gain from working in his lab?

"Oh my gosh, that is just... wow! Wow! Yes, I'd love to!" She had to stop herself from breathing too quickly, as she tended to do when she was surprised or overwhelmed. He smiled at her reaction.

"I'll make sure to talk to Light and the university, but I don't foresee any problems."

"I can't believe it." She felt a little dizzy, and her heart was pounding. "To be honest I didn't want to take Light's seminar because... well, I think I've learned from him all I could." she admitted.

"He tends to be like that, he doesn't really think a lot of people are really ready to fully understand his idea of robotics, or that robots can be more than just helping humans."

"What was it like, working with him, making that robot?" she asked, referring to the picture next to the door as she picked up her phone and slid it into her pocket.

A faint, nostalgic smile formed under his mustache. "It was nice having a partner to work on that AI project, he had a lot of great ideas. The project was a challenge because no one had been able to accomplish that goal, and I loved every minute of it, pushing the boundaries of what the two of us could do, of what science could do."

She smiled at that. "Again, thanks for picking me for the interview, and thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you. I look forward to it. You have my email, don't you? Here's my number." She wrote it on a slip of paper for him before she shook his hand again.

He gave her a bit of a grin. "You know, it's been a while since a girl gave me her number." he said, his grin growing wider. She blushed at that, and under the lights in the lab, it was as plain as day, because of her pale skin.

"I'll see you later." she whispered, quickly turning away, her cheeks burning as she left the room, the door closing quietly behind her.

Albert moved back to his largest blue print, tracing his fingers across some of the lines with a smile. Gamma, the ultimate peacekeeper, no more wars, even Light could see the potential, and perhaps his new student would be able to help. He was definitely looking forward to teaching her all that he could, and then more. She was a lovely little thing, and her mere company would brighten his time around here.

He knew that his partner was more popular than him. It wasn't so much Thomas' intelligence, but his personality and attitude that made him so likeable. That coupled with the way he saw robotics and what he wanted to give to the world, made Thomas Light the first name that came to mind when speaking of robotics.

At first, it didn't bother him. Let Thomas give the speeches and deal with the publicity. Albert would rather be working in the lab than pandering to the press. But more often as of late, he'd been feeling resentful about it, especially after seeing Light win so many prizes and be ranked above him. He didn't get as much joy working at Light Labs as he used to, even though he was a partner and had nearly as much reign over the lab as the lab's namesake did.

Hmph. He opened his laptop and hit several keys, bringing up the schematics and design for Elecman. Construction of Cutman and Gutsman were already well underway, and the assembly of Iceman would soon start. He had designed Elecman almost entirely by himself, and it was the last robot in this line.

The world was eager to see what Light Labs would turn out next, especially with the success of Rock and Roll. There was the failure of Blues, but THAT didn't make it to the media, did it?

He e-mailed his partner the design, having gone over it several times for possible flaws. Well, soon enough the world would realize he was capable of just as much, if not more than Light.

o0o0o0o

Lydia had been in the tank for half a day, but her vitals were monitored in case of an emergency. She was not to know how much time had passed, of course, she had drifted between states of sleeping and meditation, and had actually come up with several new ideas, but then, in this state, the only thing she could actually use was her brain.

The paralytic had worn off a while ago, but the antigravs were still rendering her immobile for the most part, and her body hung limp as she pondered how long she could have been in here.

Suddenly, light filled her vision, and she hissed almost like a vampire that had been exposed to sunlight, her body jerking to the back of the tank as much as it could. The sudden assault of light and sound bordered on painful to one who had been in sensory deprivation, and her hands fluttered up to her eyes as the tank opened up further.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Lydia." His voice, while soft, was still too loud to her after the silence, and she moaned softly, curling up where she was, reluctant to leave the tank. At first it had been scary, but then after a while it was oddly cleansing. She felt a blanket being tossed over her after Wily had removed the IV, a pair of strong hands gently pulling her out of the tank. These had been Shadowman's hands, and the blanket had been placed on her by him as well.

"Th... thank you." she whispered in an almost inaudible voice as she was placed on her feet before she slumped against the tank, keeping her eyes closed, getting used to the bright light of the lab. Shadowman placed himself between her and the light, hovering over her as he led her to a chair to sit down. The floor seemed impossibly solid with every step, each shuffling step she took feeling almost like a stomp.

"Jeez. I think getting _out_ of the tank is actually worse punishment than being _in_ it!" she muttered as she finally opened her eyes. The blanket was a plain black color though it was quite comfortable. Though she didn't have her glasses – they were confiscated with her clothing before the tank – she could make out well enough to see Shadow and Wily. The doctor was now sans his lab coat.

She shivered and pulled the blanket more tightly around herself, the tank had been so warm compared to the slight chill in the chamber.

"It is a bit of a shock, isn't it?" he asked as he picked up a tool and began to adjust the tension on the component he was building, As the doctor worked, Shadowman approached with a tray, she saw a pitcher and two cups of tea. He served Wily first, the scientist accepting the cup, and the other one was offered to her. It was slightly bitter, but it had an edge of sweetness that balanced it out nicely, making for an harmonious flavor.

"Mmm... this is good." she whispered. "Best tea I've ever had, I think. Who made this?"

"I did." Shadowman said as he set the tray on the table. She stared fir a moment before she looked into her cup.

"You made this? From scratch? No teabags?" she asked, and when he nodded, she gave an impressed whistle. "I can barely make tea from a bag, let alone scratch. My hot chocolate is so-and-so." She took another sip and nodded slowly, the cup warming her fingers as she held it. "My compliments to the chef."

Shadowman inclined his head in a bow, and she was sure he was smiling behind his faceplate. "It's a simple matter, study of tradition makes it easy. it's just learning that's the hard part." Though she could not see a smile, the 'bot's eyes crinkled just a bit. Not even a real wrinkle on that silicon skin, but a physical tic nonetheless. She pondered the discussions she and Wily had when she was his assistant, about robots having souls. Was this true? Did this ninja bot actually have a soul? Robots could be programmed to smile or cry or say things which made it seem like they had real feelings, but to her, they had always felt artificial. Not so with this one. She got the oddest feeling that despite his metallic shell, he _was_ a person, with as much of a soul as she did. She stared at him for several long moments, stunned at this realization before she shook her head and changed the subject.

"Could I have my glasses please?" she asked politely. She could see the hints of his frown as he placed her glasses back on her face, fitting them carefully on her nose. She looked over to Wily, but could not see what he was doing as he had his back to her, and let out a quiet sigh.

"I almost feel like I'm in a video game, the princess kidnapped by the villain." She'd played a video game here and there with Wily when they had taken breaks before, laughing and having fun over it. "Except I'm far from a beautiful princess and there's no one who cares about me enough to rescue me." she said self-deprecatingly, she certainly didn't consider herself beautiful.

Wily frowned at that, his hands stilling for a moment. For some reason he couldn't understand, it bothered him to hear her talk about herself like that.

"There's no need to be so melodramatic." he replied dryly.

"It's true. I've been kidnapped by a mad scientist and there's no way I'm going to be allowed to go home and no one knows where I am! I don't suppose I can count on Mega Man to save me." she said with a rueful chuckle.

"Why would you want to be saved by him?" the robot asked, a perplexed look on his face before he shook his head. "Oh, of course..." he said quietly, remembering how different their views on the blue bomber were. Wily finally spoke up, turning away from his nearly completed project.

"There will be none of that." Wily said, obviously irritated at the mention of Mega Man. "You will be fed and given a comfortable place to rest. I'm a mad scientist, not a sadistic one."

"Good to know." she muttered as she took a sip of her tea.

"I'm sure I don't have to go on about how I expect obedience and respect."

"You would be correct about that." she replied primly. Sass could only go so far, and she could learn much if she just went along, waiting for s window to escape. That would be the sensible thing to do. The ninja-bot gently dropped something onto her lap, she looked down to see black fabric with a skull print on it. The old man sure loved this motif, didn't he? When she unfolded it, it revealed itself to be a suit of scrubs, a top with pants.

"So not only do I have to play the part, but I also have to look the part of being your assistant?" she asked as she held up the top.

"I'm the villain, I can do whatever I want."

"Fine." At least it was modest and looked comfortable. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked. She didn't just want privacy as she changed, she really did have to _go_, especially after her time in the tank.

"First door on the left." he said, gesturing to a doorway. She sauntered to her destination, taking a quick look around as she did so, assessing her surroundings. She was back in short time, clad in the scrubs, with her black hair and glove, it was hard to not think of Gothic fashion when she had looked at herself in the bathroom mirror after splashing some water onto her face. She had undone her ponytail and tamed her thick hair into a braid, a job easier said than done without a comb, but she managed.

Wily turned to face her, and smiled a little as he saw how she looked. Though her hair was now braided, a few loose waves still framed her face. His eyes moved along her body for a moment before he turned away from her.

"Well, there's no use in wasting time. Let's get to work, I have a project in the main lab. Follow me." He walked out the door. She glanced at Shadowman before she followed the doctor, wondering what today would bring.


	2. II

**Forever Clockwork**

**II**

The photograph I made reference to twice in the last chapter actually exists. Neat the end of Volume 3 of Gigamix, you can see Light holding it and looking at it with a fond smile. I've also seen a color version, full-size of it online. From what I understand, it was one of two bonus postcards that one could obtain from buying Gigamix 2 in Japan, the other postcard had Terra and the Stardroids on it. Damn, but young Wily is hot. :P Reviews and feedback are very much welcome and appreciated. I've tried my best to characterize Wily, as he is portrayed different ways in various media.

o0o0o0o

The lab was the kind of place she imagined Wily would construct his robots in. It was an immense chamber, with various areas in the room dedicated to different things, mostly the construction of hardware. Programming a robot was a complicated task in itself, but what good was it without something to put it in?

She could see heavy tools – saws, welders, and the like in one corner, near several machines designed to bend metal into various shapes to form the outer parts of anything that the mad scientist might want to create. There were of course smaller tools – screws, wenches, pliers, and so on and so forth. She hated to admit it, but she envied Wily, she would love to have her own personal lab and 'bot servants. Being a villain obviously did have its perks...

There was one thing she did not miss. Here and there, the mad scientist had a skull design somewhere. Not that it surprised her, but it did make her curious.

"Why do you like skulls and skeletons so much anyway?" she mused as she glanced at a half-constructed vehicle, some sort of hovercraft by the looks of it. He glanced over his shoulder at her as he approached a table that had the framework of a robot on it.

"I intend to bring about the death of the old world order? I use it to inspire fear in my enemies? That, and I've always liked it. Plus, it looks badass." he replied with a grin. She had to bite back a grin of her own, and moved closer when he motioned her to do so.

"I have a question of my own, what happened to your last name? Why did you change it?" he asked. She shrugged, not wanting to share the reason. Evans was such a common name in the States, and she wanted a more unique name. She had taken the word 'infinite' and scrambled the letters around.

He did not miss her reaction and raised his eyebrow. "Come now, you asked me a question and I answered it honestly. I think it's only fair to ask the same in kind."

She crossed her arms. "Says my kidnapper. You're hardly in a position to talk about what's fair."

He scowled at her. "Do I need to send you back to the tank?"

She looked away. "... No."

"Then answer my question."

"My old last name is common. In just about any city in America, you can often find at least 50 Evans in the phone book. I wanted something more unique, so I just took the letters for 'infinity' and scrambled it around." She looked back at him.

"Was that so hard?" he asked. She glared at him, and he smirked before he turned back to the table.

"For this model, I'm working on a newer technique for my air based models, using this as a prototype. One day, I may be able to create a robot capable of producing air-based bullets. That has yet to be accomplished, but I am confident that one day I can create a robot who can use air for pinpoint attacks rather than more wide-range ones like tornadoes."

If one thing could be said about Wily, it was that he was creative, as his existing Robot Masters could attest to. "I have studied the Robot Masters, at least whatever knowledge is available, since I know you have a few secrets. I've studied _all_ the numbers, not just yours, but Light's and Cossack's, and I notice that air-based robots have a certain weakness, they're usually vulnerable to electricity because it disrupts the flow of air. If you could remedy that, you would have a robot that is nearly unbeatable."

He gave her a grin. "Good girl, it's nice to see you've kept up on your research. The problem with this is, the weakness to electricity is often created by the open nature of the fans, air tanks simply aren't enough for sustainable combat levels." he explained as he brought up a holographic image for the robot from a keypad at the edge of the table, showing some of the designs he'd already worked out.

"I know. It's the same thing with fire-based robots being weak to ice and water, or vice-versa. The very design that gives them their power and abilities often gives them a weakness that Megaman can exploit. Kind of a catch-22."

_And thank goodness for that_, she mused wryly, or the mad scientist might already be the ruler of the world.

"However. This model won't rely on fans, covering this weakness." The hologram revealed that the robot had a high-powered jet-pack for flight, and the arm cannon held a grav drive that could compress the air in front of its fist to a semi-solid state to create blades of air as well as whirlwinds. It was a definite step up from Airman's fan design.

"Interesting. Looks like you've learned something from your encounters with Megaman." she replied dryly.

"Of course. I'm not so arrogant, and certainly not a fool, to deny my mistakes and refuse to learn from them. Every failure is a lesson that brings me one step closer to victory." he replied, ignoring the barb as he moved on to the chest, expanding the hologram for the power core, an entirely new model. "This is the new core generator. It uses a combination of solar energy and magnetism to create a perpetual motion field that generates more than ten time the power of the standard power core used in most robots."

"You've come a long way since your original series..." she said, the more recent Numbers were of course more technologically advanced than the first ones he had come up with, though sometimes he went back and tweaked and improved an older Number, like he had for Shadow Man. She peered at the design. "You could make a lot of money selling this core as a source of clean power." she observed.

He shot her a look like she'd just stated the most obvious thing in the world. "You would think so, but when you work under someone like Thomas Light, no one takes your work seriously, if HIS name isn't on it, nobody wants it." the doctor said, practically seething. "It was I who designed the operating system for his original industrial robots! ME who outlined the original systems of their unique abilities. But did I get the recognition I deserved? OF COURSE NOT!" He slammed the sides of his fists on the table, creating a loud bang.

She took a step back, remembering all too well the rivalry between Light and Wily. What should she say? "Um... look. I don't know why what happened happened, I guess you could say some people have all the luck. Right?" She let out a nervous chuckle, deciding to switch gears and soothe his ego. "But you're way smarter than he is, and some people are afraid of genius just because they don't understand it. I guess Light was just easier for them to understand."

He smiled at that, cold and confident, but with a hint of joy under all of it. "Exactly! It's nice to hear someone else understand it." he turned back to the robot. "Now this is interesting. Instead of using jets as I would have used before, this model hardens the air beneath his feet, creating platforms to stand on for a moment, allowing him to run and jump in the air. The jet-pack is very high-powered, so the platforms are better for jumps and other times he only needs to make a relatively short distance. It's still new, hence the short duration, but we'll see how it goes." he commented, once more excited about his work.

She nodded, duly impressed. They talked shop for a while, he showed her a couple more designs and she gave feedback and suggestions on them. "Should I be flattered or sad that you claim I'm the only one who understands?" she asked, half jokingly.

He glanced at her with a neutral expression before he shrugged. "That's entirely up to you." He sauntered over to the corner nearest the door, which had a refrigerator and a sink, along with a table and chair. There was a counter space with a coffeemaker and a toaster oven. It reminded her of the employee break-room at her workplace, though here Wily wouldn't need to worry about people stealing his food or making a mess. "What would you like to drink?" he asked as he opened the fridge. She saw bottles of water, juice, and beer, and could not help but wonder if he ever worked while drunk. That might explain how he came up with Topman...

"I guess I'll just have some water." She accepted a bottle from him before she glanced back at the table with the half-constructed robot. "It felt a bit like déjà vu, talking shop with you like that, like we used to." she admitted almost shyly as she took the cap off the bottle.

"It is rather nice having you around." he replied calmly as he took the cap off a bottle of what looked like tomato juice.

"I'm just curious, why do you want to take over the world, anyway?"

"To build a world for robots. Having myself as ruler is really just a perk."

"Why a world for machines? Why not a world for humans and machines? I mean, you are human, after all. And there are also plants and animals, this world needs these too, I hope you don't want to destroy those, too."

"Plants and animals haven't done too well under human rule, have they? Can you honestly tell me that people do such a great job of running the world?"

She glanced at the wall. History was full of foolish human rulers, and their just as foolish subjects. However, could Wily do a better job? What kind of ruler could he possibly he? "And you think you could do a better job?"

"Yes." was the deadpan, completely serious tone that brooked no argument.

"Well, you sure are persistent." she replied, hearing him laugh at that. She felt her stomach rumble in protest, remembering that it had been nearly eighteen hours since she had eaten at all. She'd been hungry when she came out of the tank, but hadn't brought it up then. Might as well bring it up now. "I'm hungry."

He pointed to the cabinet next to the fridge, and she went over to it and opened it.

_Well_. Packages of instant noodles and soup greeted her, as well as what looked like granola or breakfast bars of some sort within a plastic container, along with other easy-to-prepare food items. It was obvious that Wily didn't invest much time in food preparation, but then, he was sure to consider it a more worthwhile use of his time putting together machines than a meal.

"... I don't suppose we can just order out?" she asked wryly as she weighed her options. They'd done so a few times at Light Labs, laughing and talking about science over Chinese or pizza.

"If you find a place that will deliver to the fortress of an evil genius, then sure."

"Okay, just give me your phone." Her own phone had disappeared with her clothing.

"Nice try." he replied before taking a swig of his juice.

"Can't blame me for trying, can you?"

He raised his eyebrow at that, and she smirked back at him before choosing one of the soups and preparing it before she grabbed one of the bars, she had not had dinner or breakfast, after all. As she waited for the soup to heat up, she perused the monitors on the walls. Some of the monitors showed areas outside the lab, while others showed other areas within the fortress. While the room she was in was quiet, the cameras showed that the fortress itself was abuzz with activity. Here and there she saw lower-level robots like Mettalls engaged in construction or maintenance.

If she had been taken by an ordinary kidnapper, she knew she could have figured a way out of the situation. However, the man several feet away from her, now chewing on a Slim Jim, was far from that. Not only would she have to find a way around him, but she would also have to figure out a way around however many Robot Masters were lurking around these parts, as well as the horde of lesser robots, and then get away from this fortress. That would require transportation, especially if this fortress was on an island.

_Fuck._ Out of all the potential kidnappers in the world, she was stuck with _this_ one, a man who was just as smart, and probably smarter than her. It would take all of her considerable IQ to figure a way out of this.

"Mmm, this is pretty good." she said after she took several bites from the bar. It wasn't so much granola as it was fruit, she could taste strawberry among a few other flavors. "Where do you get these?" The plastic container they were in had no label on it.

"Plantman makes them. He grows different fruits and vegetables and makes bars and juices for me."

"That'd explain why you're in better shape than Light." she replied dryly. He gave out a laugh before taking another bite of the jerky stick. She finished her bar just as the microwave gave out a ding, signaling that her soup was done. She took the bowl along with a couple more bars and sat down, staring off thoughtfully as she worked through her meal. If he was going to have her work on the robots, she could try to sabotage, or put a message in one.

Of course, Wily would probably anticipate such a move. He knew she was smart, that was why she was here. On the other hand, he kept failing at his attempts at world domination. Intelligence did not equal common sense, after all. If she could trump him in _this_ area, there was hope for her yet. There was enough in literature and movies about powerful men being overcome by womanly wiles, weren't there? What was it that Robert A. Heinlein said? _'Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.'_

"Why are you smiling?" the doctor asked, cutting into her thoughts. She blinked and straightened up before looking down at her soup.

"Nothing." she muttered.

"Well, finish your food, we don't have all day."

"Fine." She was tempted to eat at a slow, deliberate pace, but resisted that urge and finished her food, washing it down with the rest of her water.

"Let's see if you've maintained your skill of building things." he said as he led her to a smaller table. There were various parts and tools scattered about, and a paper diagram. "Have fun."

She stared at the table before she slowly nodded, and he went back to the main table, working on the robot he had shown her earlier.

_Well, here goes_. This was not too much different from the first day she had gone to work for him.

o0o0o0o

Five years prior...

She glanced at the picture of young Light and Wily before she knocked on the door, her heart racing. She had dressed less formally, now clad in a pair of comfortable black overalls and a black-and-magenta striped long-sleeved shirt. In her backpack she carried her laptop, as Wily had asked her to bring it.

He opened the door and ushered her in. Though they had communicated a few more times via e-mail and phone, she was still nervous about coming back here in person.

"Good morning, Professor Wily."

"I did have a rather good morning, especially after reading the article you wrote about me." he said with a smile. She blushed a little, but managed to smile back at him. The magazine had decided to go through the scientists in alphabetical order, placing one interview in each issue, so Wily had been the last article featured, in the most recent publication. She'd read all the other articles, and she was sure that her new mentor did. She had found the other interviews educational, particularly Noelle Lalinde's views on giving emotions to robots, and Thomas Light's rebuttal in his own article. She still couldn't believe that Wily had chosen her, that he had liked her essay the best, because wow, there her name was in the article as its author. One day, maybe someone would want to interview _her_.

"Wow, I'm really glad you enjoyed the article."

"How could I not? It was well-written, and you didn't censor my answers or try to alter them."

She blinked. "Why would I do that? That would defeat the purpose of the interview, wouldn't it? Your views are your own, and it would be wrong of me to alter them just to make the article more appealing to its audience."

Albert smiled ruefully at that as he gestured her to come sit in front of his desk. He wasn't as popular as his partner, and not just because Light had a more affable personality. Most humans just wanted machines to serve them, to make their lives easier, and if this meant giving some robots AI and emotions, to better enable them to understand – and take care of – the needs of humans better, so be it. The line of Robot Masters that he and Light were working on now was a way to test that out, to see how this would work on a wider scale after Light's personal; success with Rock and Roll. If DLWN-003 through 008 proved to be a success, it would change the world of robotics. Of course, he and Light were not the only ones working on advanced robots, but because of Light's status in the robotics community, this line would be eagerly anticipated and closely watched.

Already, he was working on more robot designs... Magnetman, Snakeman, Metalman, Flashman...

"The world would be a better place if people didn't pander so much to popular opinion." he replied, gratified to see her grin of agreement. "Anyway, are you ready to get started?"

"Of course!"

"Good. I have your first assignment ready for you." He opened another door, one that led into what was unmistakably a lab, various equipment and paraphernalia set up or scattered around the room. She'd worked in the labs on the campus, of course, but with her trained eye she identified several pieces of equipment that the campus labs were missing. He led her over to one of the tables, where several paper diagrams awaited her with an assortment of parts and bits.

"Follow these..." He gestured to the diagrams. "and come see me when you're done."

"Um." She glanced at the diagrams, seeing something that looked like a bowling ball with wings that resembled a bat's. "What's the time-frame for this?"

"I think I'll let you figure that out for yourself." he said with an almost mischievous grin. "You may use any of the tools in this lab. Any questions or problems, just ask. I'll be in my office."

_Okay. He's leaving me alone in his lab, huh? Wasn't expecting that_. Not that she intended to cause any mischief, of course, but she had been expecting... well, maybe a lecture or a question session or... Wait. Was this a test? That would actually make sense if he wanted to have an assessment of her skills before he decided on anything else.

She pulled her laptop out and set it on the table as she pulled up a swivel chair and studied the diagrams. As she did, a plan formed in her head. First she would get all the needed parts together, and then build then inside and test it before she built the exterior. Once she had it all figured out in her head, she looked at the parts scattered about, selecting the ones she would need to start on the interior parts and placing them all on one of the empty tables, and gathering the tools she would need for the exacting task of assembling the interior.

The doctor watched her at first, nodding in approval as she took her time to study the diagrams before carefully looking over the parts he had left for her. He had throw in parts that were not needed for the Batton she would be building, just to see if she would recognize these as unneeded or attempt to use them, thinking they were there for a reason. He'd baited young workers at Light Labs this way several times before, amused when they tried to fit the extra part into their work, like trying to fit in a puzzle piece that belonged in another puzzle but had been included in the box by accident.

His partner never found this amusing, but oh well. Light had always been a bit of a goody-goody, sometimes too much, but he had always found the baiting method a good way to separate the brighter workers from the rest of the lot.

Seeing that she wasn't taking this bait, he nodded in approval before turning back to his computer, working on refining some designs for future Robot Masters.

About a hour passed before he decided to check on her. Her back was to him, but it was obvious she was hard at work, hunched over the table. He sauntered into the lab, closing the door quietly and approaching her from behind, peering over her shoulder. From the looks of it, she had finished the motherboard, and was now working on the inner propulsion. Rather impressive for the time-frame.

She was so absorbed in her work that she did not see him approach, and was at the moment looking through the magnifying lens, using the mini-welder to solder together two small parts together. He carefully picked up the motherboard and examined it before he nodded slowly. _Good work_. So far, she was earning an A.

After a few minutes, she lifted her head from the magnifier and wiped her brow with her right hand, and this gave the older scientist pause. She'd been wearing a black glove over it during their interview, and again when she came in today. He had simply thought it was some quirk of hers, and hadn't asked about it.

The hand was covered in what he immediately recognized as burn scars, her fingers reduced to stumps. However, she was able to type fast with it as she made a note on her laptop, and used it to hold the component she was working on while using her good hand to manipulate the welder as she gently touched it to one part.

She looked up and gasped softly when she saw him, before she quickly collected herself, discreetly pulling her hand to her lap.

"I was wondering when you'd come by to check on me." she commented lightly. He said nothing, reaching out for the motherboard and inspecting it before he delicately picked up the unfinished component, examining it closely. He could sense her nervousness, but his face remained impassive. Her work so far was excellent, she was very careful and exact in her work, yet she was far from slow.

He set it back on the table with a slow, measured motion, staring at her calmly. She blinked several times, obviously becoming uncomfortable, and he had to bite back a grin.

"So... when were you going to tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what?" she replied, her tone calm and controlled. He allowed himself a faint smirk as their eyes met. The silence was thick for several moments before she broke it. "I wanted you to see my work first."

"Did you really think I might not let you come here if I had known about your disability?"

She gave out a rueful laugh. "That's easy for you to say, but you don't know what it's like, having such an... obvious and unattractive disability." The looks of pity or revulsion... She placed her had on the table in full view. "Admit it, the first thing you thought of when you saw this was probably not too flattering."

She did have a point, he mused. But then, it would be the knee-jerk reaction of most anybody after seeing the damage done to her hand. He looked down at it for a couple of moments before looking up at her and picking up the motherboard she had put together.

"You do better work than most people with two good hands." This comment caused her face to break into a quick, wide grin.

"I do try."

"I can see that. Carry on." He set the object back down and left.

_Well. That went better than I expected_, she mused with no small amount of delight. Some of her professors at college had doubted her ability to do the lab-work, and many of her classmates were of the same opinion, because many parts of a robot required a deft, delicate hand. She'd had to work hard to prove herself in school, and well, that work spoke for itself.

o0o0o0o

Present

Lydia took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She'd spent several hours hunched over the table, working on the weapon that would be added to the robot Wily was working on. She was tempted to purposely get the inner workings wrong, but fought the urge, following the design as he put it.

This was not how she had seen herself when she graduated from college. She'd kept herself low-key, working on her own research and project privately, wanting to wait until the right time to share it with the world. And now, being hostage of a madman, would she have the opportunity? She certainly didn't want to spend her days working as free labor and working on evil robots. She set down the pliers she had just been using and raised her head, seeing the robotic bird perched on a pipe on the wall above her table, where it had been since she started working. She slowly lifted her middle finger at it, and it grinned at her.

She wondered what Wily might say if she threw a wrench at the damned thing. She looked back down, nearly finished with the inner components. Once it was done, she lifted her head again, deciding to take a break. Wily hadn't said anything about breaks, or even really set any rules for her. Stretching her arms above her head, she slowly turned her chair to see him still working on his robot.

One thing could be said about him – he persevered despite his setbacks. One would think that after seven attempts at world domination, he might decide that retirement would be a better prospect, but he was a tenacious old fuck.

She pulled her glove back on and rose to her feet, doing a few more stretches, it always felt good to do so, especially after hours of being hunched over some work. The monitors which showed the outside of the lab showed that it was getting dark. As casually as she could, she strode across the floor to the kitchen area, getting a couple of fruit bars and some water, and sat down. She was not reprimanded for this. A few minutes passed before he broke the silence.

"How's the work going?" he asked.

"I finished all the inner parts." She watched him cross the room to inspect her work, and he nodded.

"Looks like you've kept up on your skills." he commented.

"You don't sound too surprised."

"I would have expected no less from you."

"Well, of course. Since that's why I was brought here." she replied in a slightly acidic tone. When he raised his eyebrow, she continued. "Why not kidnap Dr. Light? You've worked with him before, surely he'd be a more suitable slave than me. Or just create a robot to help you around the lab if you're so hard-up for an assistant."

"Ha!" He snorted as he crossed his arms. "Do you think I haven't considered that? But instinct tells me that wouldn't work out too well for either of us, and I don't want to... manufacture a helper." He certainly had enough Robot Masters around, and from what she had seen, Shadowman was fiercely loyal to the man he called father.

"Lucky me." she muttered. "I suppose you expect me to feel special."

"No, honored."

"You _kidnapped_ me."

"You rejected my offer." he said simply. She stared at him with incredulity.

"You expected me to just drop my life and work for a criminal?"

"I thought that our time together back then would have showed you what a genius I am, and how well we could work together. Were you really happy with your job?"

"I don't see what business it is of yours -" she replied indignantly.

"A simple no would suffice. Light offered you a job in his lab after you graduated, but you quit after a year. You worked for two years with a private weapons company. Then you took a job that is basically putting together glorified love dolls together for rich and bored people."

She could only stare at him for several moments before he grinned. "See. I've worked with you, and I know we share some of the same ideas. I know that these jobs would not suit someone like you."

"So nice of you to show interest in my career." she said in a flat tone, not sure how she should feel about him knowing that much about her, especially after she had changed her name.

"Do forgive me for thinking that you might welcome the opportunity for something more rewarding." he replied just as dryly. "Or perhaps the chance to see me again and learn further from me."

She had to admit to herself that she had enjoyed being his student. And he had been an excellent teacher. If he hadn't gone off the deep end and made world domination his new life-goal, she might still be working for him in some capacity. He'd hinted at it a couple of times before, though after his disappearance, she had quickly found a job, generously offered by Dr. Light.

"It's been a long time. Things have changed." she said pointedly. "I have my own life and you... obviously have yours. Complete with your very own lair and a robot army." A sharp sigh escaped her lips. "Look, I'm tired, and I would really appreciate it if I could just get some rest." She had other things to ask for, but figured it would be wisest to test the waters with just one simple request.

"I would be very amiss if I didn't ensure that you got adequate sleep, wouldn't I?" he asked as he returned to the robot. Was she just supposed to sit there? Instead of asking this, she decided to study the monitors as she ate. Some of the monitors changed from camera to camera in a regular cycle, and she started making a mental map of this place with what she could put together from the views offered her.

The arrival of a robot broke her reverie as she looked up to see Shadowman approach the table with a tray bearing two cups of tea. Without being asked, he poured her some and set it in front of her.

"Thank you." She wrapped her fingers around the cup, letting the warmth seep into her tired digits. He gave her a slight bow before walking over to give Wily the other cup. It was a different flavor from earlier, she noted, with a smoother and slightly flowery flavor. Well, she wasn't complaining, and sipped it down. Wily and the ninja robot were talking about something, but their tones were hushed, and after a few seconds, she stopped trying to eavesdrop.

"I have identified a potential candidate for the Eighth Numbers." Shadowman said, holding up a palm-sized tablet. Wily gave the surface several taps as he flipped through the available data for the robot. "Very good. Prepare that lab." He knew that Shadowman knew which lab he was referring to. The ninja disappeared and the scientist continued to study the tablet for a bit before turning it off.

He was about done for the day. His muscles ached, and it would be nice to go and relax. Lydia had her head propped up on one arm as she sipped her tea. He was in a considerably more relaxed mood now, given the progress he'd made in his work along with his assistant's compliance. Looks like her 'time-out' had made the sufficient impression on her. It really was too bad he had to resort to kidnapping, but he did what he had to do.

"I suppose you deserve a reward for your good work." he said in an almost begrudging tone.

After a few moments, as if considering all the possible responses to that, she finally responded with a quiet 'thank you'. Less snark than he expected, but he wasn't complaining.

"Anything you had in mind?" he asked, curious as to what she might ask for.

"I'm just tired and want to rest. Could we talk about this in the morning?" She did sound tired, but she made the effort to sound polite. He nodded briefly before he started towards the door, beckoning her to follow. She did so as he walked through a couple of halls and flights of stairs.

A seemingly nondescript door slid open, and he turned to her, beckoning her forward, waiting for her reaction. He heard the soft intake of breath and watched as she stopped in her step to look at her new loving space. He stood there for a few moments, watching her before he quickly retreated.

o0o0o0o

Lydia turned around as the door slid shut. For a second, she considered banging on the door, but thought better, and turned back to what had caught her attention. The futon that dominated one side of the room had comforters and pillows on it of indigo and fuchsia, her favorite colors. She hadn't imagined he would remember such a thing.

The rest of the room was mostly black and white with chrome. There was a desk and empty shelves, along with a wardrobe. It was no five-star hotel, but this was actually pretty decent. The bathroom was done in the same monochromatic theme and contained a shower stall. She did an inspection of the rooms for cameras, and there seemed to be none. A quick shower was what she needed, and then after that a good night's sleep. Sleep usually helped her to clear her mind, and hopefully she would wake up with a fresh idea on how to handle this situation. The wardrobe contained several more sets of scrubs in varying patterns. She chose a plain black one to sleep in.

The sharp, strident noise of an alarm broke her reverie. She moaned and stretched out, grasping around at the side of her bed to halt the sound. Her alarm wasn't supposed to sound like that! Her eyes snapped open and she lay still for several moments, her eyes moving as she surveyed her surroundings.

Fuck. So it hadn't been some crazy dream brought on by a long and stressful day at work. At least the bed had been comfortable, she was able to fall asleep after a while.

Suddenly, Wily's voice emerged from somewhere beside her head. She looked over, seeing the clock. "You have fifteen minutes to get ready."

She lay there for a couple of seconds, waiting to see if there was anything else, and when there was nothing, she lifted her middle finger at the clock, wondering if there was a camera. Again, there was silence.

"Hello?" she said. There was no response, and she rolled out of bed. It was mid-morning. _It'd be nice to have a window_, she mused. She had washed her underwear in the shower last night and left it hanging to dry on the shower rod and she pulled these on before putting the black scrubs back on. There was no comb so she managed her hair the best she could and put it in a ponytail before rinsing her mouth out a few times, it seemed that Wily had forgotten to provide for anything more than towels and toiler paper.

He had actually thought she'd take his... job offer and happily packed her things and been on her way. Heh. Fifteen minutes passed, according to the clock, and then the door slid open, revealing a figure. She had to bite back a frown of distaste when she saw that it was Shademan, She had been hoping for the ninja' bot, so she could ask him a few questions, he seemed like he would be more receptive to helping her.

If it was any consolation, he didn't seem any more pleased to see her than it was for her to see him. She did not offer him a greeting.

"Good morning, Doctor Ytinfini." he said after a couple of moments, mildly surprising her. She gave him a stiff nod as she approached the doorway.

After they were both in the hallway, she finally spoke. "So what does your illustrious leader and father have in mind for today?' she asked, sarcasm barely veiled.

"Do I have to use my Noise Crush on you again?" he shot back, not missing the mocking tone in which she used to refer to Wily. He was gratified to see her take a step back.

"So that's what it's called." She stared off for a moment before looking back at him. "I suppose you like this better than working in an amusement park."

"I really do." he said, his voice devoid of sarcasm.

DWN-055 had started his life – if it could be called that back then – as an amusement-park robot. His station was the haunted house and adjoining graveyard. Being modeled after a vampire, he had been designed to amuse the visitors to his area, playfully growling and hissing at them, or welcoming them to the haunted house with an accent that was modeled after vampires in cheesy Dracula movies.

The original version of what would become DWN-055 had been considered not scary enough, so he was sent back to his manufacturer for an upgrade. Rather than merely wiping the original set of personality and behavior parameters he had been assigned, the programmer had just shuttled that data to unused space on the motherboard, and uploaded the new data, and the robot was sent back.

This new personality, complained some of the patrons, was too scary. He'd made some children cry. He remembered standing at the charging station, listening to the park employers complain about him. Somewhere along the way, during his existence as a robot who was created solely for the amusement of others, a spark of consciousness had formed, and now, as he listened to the humans, he felt annoyed.

He had started out with a measure of autonomy, being able to choose from a wide variety of acceptable lines and dialogue to fit in his role at the haunted house, as well as limited power to give direction to the lesser robots, like the bats and skeleton-bots. He had been told to amuse the guests, and so he did. But that had not been enough for his owner, who wanted something scary, so he had his brain filled with a new set of personality data. He modified his behavior according to this new data, and that wasn't good enough, either. He had merely followed directions, performing to the best of his abilities, and the next day, he had tried to mix the two personalities together, going for a combination of scary for the adults and funny, for the little ones. That seemed to work, at least for a while.

When he heard that he was going to have his memory completely wiped and installed with a new program, that spark of consciousness... of identity and self-awareness burst forth. He didn't want to... _die_, especially for something so trivial as someone's satisfaction over how he performed a task that in retrospect, seemed inconsequential.

Then he was told that he would be entered into a robot fighting tournament. He had been kidnapped by the mysterious Mr. X who soon enough revealed his true self. Though the vampire-bot was not made part of the Sixth Numbers, the time he spent in Wily's lab taught him much. Though the doctor had not created him, he was still given the chance to become part of the family. He was made stronger, his flight capability increased, and given weapons and tools with which to defend himself. But there was one thing his adoptive father had not tampered with. His mind.

His personality remained intact, further developed by the resources he had access to in the lab. He had his own identity, and his father encouraged that. How could he be anything but loyal?

Even after he had used his Noise Crush on Wily to get him away from the White Nightmare, the old man, despite the anger he had felt at first, had allowed him to keep his weapon, and infact upgraded it with additional abilities. The scientist deserved nothing less than absolute loyalty from his sons.

"Yeah, you got a crappy role model." she shot back.

"He wants freedom for robots."

"Funny way to go about it."

"What other way would you suggest?" he snapped back. She opened her mouth, and then closed it after a moment, looking slightly puzzled. She blinked and looked back at him.

"That still doesn't explain why I'm here. If he needs help, why doesn't he use one of you, or build a new assistant? I'm sure he has enough Robot Masters for anything he might need."

Shademan pondered the question and shrugged. The world simply did not understand his father, why should this female? Well, he didn't really understand why his father wanted this person here, either. Of course, he wasn't about to admit that to her. But if Father wanted her here, well, that was his decision.

"He holds you in high regard, can't you see that!" Shademan stated stiffly as he stared down at her.

"If I'm in such high regard, I'd hate to know what he does to his enemies."

"He _offered_ you a position here. The greatest mind in the world would not extend that invitation to just anyone."

"I know." she replied flatly. She quickly looked down at her nails and then back at him. "Let's just get this over with."

He did not respond, and led her down several twists and turns before they appeared at a partially-open portal leading outside, to her surprise. Fortunately, her wardrobe options had included rubber-soled black slip-ons. She had to admit that her current outfit was pretty comfortable.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shadowman approach, a bundle of something black in his hands. It revealed itself to be a jacket. She thanked the ninja-bot and slid it on, it was a bit big but still fit her nicely. Her mind worked the various possibilities and advantages to be gained from going outside. She'd see more of her surroundings, and have a better idea of what she was up against.

She turned to see Wily dressed in mostly black, with a dark gray jacket. On his head was a black beret and with the glasses he wore, he looked almost like a harmless man. Not one single skull decoration anywhere. Even with his hair wild as it was, she was reminded of the professor of her college days.

She saw pine trees. Of what variety, she was not quite sure, plant identification was not her strong suit. She had seen water on one of the monitors in the lab, but she didn't see it now. The surroundings would have been quiet if not for the sound of activity going on around the building. Her experienced ears discerned the various sounds of construction and machinery assemblage – the buzz of a saw, the whir of drills, and the like. From her vantage and the activity she could see, she could only guess that an addition was being built.

To her surprise, a twinge of jealousy made itself known as she contemplated having an island lab to herself. To have an army of Robot Masters and various 'bots at your command, to do whatever you wanted and not give a damn about the law. A short, quiet laugh escaped her throat.

"What?" Wily asked, raising his eyebrow at the unexpected sound.

"Nothing, nothing." She quickly collected herself. She had the unfortunate habit of getting lost in her thoughts sometimes. "So, what are we doing today?" she asked casually.

"Much as keeping the mind sharp is important, the body also needs maintenance."

"I know the value of exercise, thank you." While she was a good ways from being a supermodel, she still kept herself in shape with a moderate exercise and diet. More often than not she would use her lunch breaks to take a walk instead of being cooped up all day like some of her co-workers. Being in one area for too long made her restless, especially in an office setting. If not for the noises of machinery behind them, she could forget about her situation if she just looked at the trees.

"Good." he stated simply before setting off, his steps measured but steady. Once in a while, a Batton might fly overhead. It was a bit chilly, but the jacket was adequate when she pulled up the zipper.

"Can we talk?" she asked, seeing his back. He glanced over his shoulder briefly and nodded. She hastened her steps for a bit to come closer to him.

"Look..." She'd wondered how she could start, and there were several different options, things she could say. She had to decide what subject to tackle first, or the best way to approach this or that. "I know we didn't get off to the best start..." She tried to sound neutral about it, since she knew arguing about just how she had come to be here would be pointless, "but please try to understand. I just don't want to be involved in anything criminal. Nothing personal." She lifted her hands, palms upturned in a graceful pleading gesture.

"You can't let fear hold you back." he replied after a moment. It was such an unexpected response that she was silent for a few moments, staring at him, pondering its meaning.

"I know that my... views are not welcomed by this world." Albert continued. _That's a fucking understatement, and I hope as hell you're aware of that_, she mused as she listened to him. "But medicine is often bitter and people must be forced to swallow it."

_Really?_

"History is full of the mistakes of humanity. We have the chance for something better, but humans would rather use robots to make their lives easier!"

Well, there was no arguing with that when you looked at how robotics and technology was applied in today's world. Sure, some robots kept people safe by doing dangerous jobs, but as robotics technology had advanced, so had its use spread, and for more mundane or vain uses. And of course, its potential for destruction. Her own resume was testament to that.

"Fire made the lives of humans easier, but also better." She smiled just a bit, the corners of her lips making a faint turn upward.

"There are different ways to utilize fire – or anything else. I choose to utilize my tools to their best, including this." He tapped his temple with his index finger. He certainly was brilliant, but he was also full of himself, she thought ruefully. _Tine to knock you down a few notches._

"You're a old man. Your days are numbered, and your legacy will end. Then the world won't have to worry about your crazy schemes anymore." She glared at him, doing her best to kow him. She was no history expert, but she had read enough history to know that no empire or dynasty lasted forever. "All things must come to an end, eventually." Come to think of it, what would happen to the Robot Masters upon Wily's passing?

"A curious statement from someone who chose infinity for their new name." He grinned at her. "You wouldn't have selected such a word unless you had some lofty aspiration. I have my own plans, and I will elude the mortal coil to achieve it!" He raised his fist in the air to punctuate his statement, and she was intrigued. Just what did he have up his sleeve? Before she could wonder at that, he continued, "I have my goal, what is yours? Surely you did not choose your new name for some trivial reason. I've waited to hear about you inventing something wonderful and taking the scientific world by storm, but you..." He shook his head.

"Maybe I prefer to stay out of the limelight." she replied flippantly as she took a few steps forward, passing him. "Some people thrive off attention. Others prefer a more... private environment."

"So... you have something you're working on? What might it be?" She could hear the interest in his voice. There were several ways she could respond to this. She could tell him everything and get his feedback. Or she could just hint at it to see what he would say. Otherwise, she could just remain mum. What if he wanted to steal her work?

"Um." She stared off for a moment. "It's not... something I'm ready to share." she replied. She had foreseen the ramifications and possibilities of her inventions, and felt it needed more work before she was ready to consider sharing them with anyone else, least of all someone who would put it to evil use.

"Why not? From one scientific mind to another. We've done this before." He was right, they had talked shop often enough. She had enjoyed these sessions, and apparently, so did he.

"Things are different now." She didn't have to say why, and she could see the displeasure that flashed across his face in a quick frown.

"Not everything. Like I said, I'm not going to harm you. I invited you here and I sincerely hoped you would accept the invitation."

"I know." she said in a quieter tone, thinking about the room that had been given to her. She didn't think the Cossacks had been treated with that much hospitality. "Look... why don't we start over?"

He stroked his chin contemplatively, and she continued. "Let's say I accepted the invitation and went with Shadowman. What would have happened then?"

"I would have put you to work." he replied in a deadpan tone. It took her a moment to realize he was teasing her. She stared back at him, pondering a question that had popped up in her head last night after she went to bed. But now was not the right time to ask it. She decided to ask for something else.

"My absence will be noticed..." she started tentatively.

"I thought you said something about no one caring about you enough to rescue you." he cut in.

_Ouch_. She had to make an conscious effort to not wince at that. "I do have a boss and co-workers." They would have noticed her gone the previous morning. Would someone – perhaps a concerned co-worker – have come by her apartment by this time to check on her? She did have a few people at work that she got along with.

"Do you really want to go back?" he asked, and again she had to maintain her neutral expression. It was hard to forget the irritation and dissatisfaction she had felt that day, and she had been thinking about quitting. There were only so many pleasure-bots, nanny-bots, and caretaker-bots she could build before it got repetitive. She wanted to use her scientific knowledge to advance humanity, not make lives easier for rich perverts with all sorts of weird kinks, rich parents too lazy to pay attention to their kids, and rich sick people who were too paranoid to hire a flesh and blood nurse.

Truth was, she had enjoyed her work yesterday. The change of pace had been nice, as long as she didn't think of how she had come to be here. The gears in her brain shifted and clicked as she saw a way to make this work for her.

"Why would you choose to work for Wainwright Industries, anyway?" he asked. "You had a promising job at Light Labs."

She took a deep breath. "I didn't leave Light Labs because it was a bad place or Thomas was a horrible boss. It was a good place to work, but not the right one for me." She was certain that if she approached her old boss with her projects, he would welcome her to work in the lab, but then, Light Labs would own part of her work. Or any other lab she might approach for funding and workspace. "I didn't feel like I was... learning anything new there, to be honest. I thought maybe I'd learn something if I went to work for military R&D." It had been a valuable experience for her indeed, and rounded out her knowledge, but like with Light Labs, she had come to the point where the work had ceased to interest her and she wasn't learning anything new. Her credentials at her previous jobs had impressed Mt. Wainwright, though. And then... well, third time definitely was _not_ the charm.

"And the same happened." Wily answered, as if reading her mind.

"Yep."

"Was that your plan? Skip from job to job? Piddling around on other people's projects?"

Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him, not bothering to hide her emotion. "It wasn't like that! I worked damn hard at these jobs and who the hell are you to judge me!"

He grinned, and she groaned inwardly when she realized that he had been trying to rouse emotion from her after her efforts at seeming neutral and aloof. That bastard. She quickly collected herself, taking a slow breath.

"I worked very hard at these jobs and gave my best." she replied in a smooth, even voice.

"I don't doubt that." he shot back calmly. "But what about you?"

"Um..." She cocked her head, wondering what he was getting at.

"Ever heard the saying, 'The shoemaker's children go barefoot?"

"Not that exact wording, but yes." _What the hell does that have to do with me?_

"What does it mean?"

Now he was giving her a lesson in... what? Philosophy? Idioms? "The shoemaker is so busy making shoes for his customers and seeing to their needs that he neglects his own children."

"Right."

"And...?" Maybe he had gone on this tangent in a bout of dementia. What did the robots think of that?

"You're the shoemaker and the children."

"What the..." _What is he going on about? I'm a barefoot child and the shoemaker? I don't even_... Then she suddenly understood. Her eyes widened slightly as her lips formed an 'o'.

She'd worked so hard for other people that her own work, while not outright neglected, definitely needed more of her attention. If she had been free to do as she pleased, without a worry of resources, who knew how far along her work would be by now? She narrowed her eyes a bit as she saw the smirk on his face.

"And why would you care?" she asked, her face becoming neutral again. After all, he'd stolen Light and Cossack numbers. What if he tried to steal her work? Was that why he was asking? _Aha, I've got you, wily old bastard._

"Perhaps the teacher wants to see his student succeed?"

"Perhaps you want to steal my work. I wouldn't be the first person you've stolen from." she said.

She expected him to laugh at that, to congratulate her for figuring out his evil plan before sending her inside to work. What she had _not_ expected was a flash of pain in his eyes – the same when she said she wished she'd never met him – as he set his lips in a tight line. She felt remorse, but then reminded herself of why she had said what she said. This wasn't the same Albert Wily from her college days.

"How could I steal something if I don't even know what it is? It's not as if you've built a line of Robot Masters I can exploit." he shot back in a cool, measured voice.

_Fuck_. She'd actually considered constructing her own Master, but that would haven taken out what free time she had, and she wanted to devote that to her own research, something as advanced as the construction of a Robot Master was very time-consuming due to the complexity of both software and hardware. She had tinkered around with designs for her own Robot Master, something she could do as a future project whenever the opportunity might present itself, who knew. She'd written several papers and articles on various aspects of robotics, but nothing about Cadence or Threnody, since she was too paranoid about theft. Wresting herself from her thoughts, she frowned. She couldn't let this old bastard out-snark her.

"Your past actions speak for themselves." She raised her chin as she stared at him.

"Are we going to do this all day?"

"I'm game if you are."

"Bah. I have better things to do with my time." With that, he turned away, resuming his leisurely stroll.

She was tempted to egg him on and call him a pussy for backing out, but truth be told, the argument had gone on long enough and there were more important things to focus on. She remained silent for a few minutes, just focusing on the fact that she was outside, with the sunshine on her face.

o0o0o0o

"Dr. Cossack never gave Father that much attitude, nor would he have permitted it! Why does he tolerate it from this... girl?" Metalman asked, his voice grating as he looked at the screen, which showed a live feed from a Batton that was trailing after Dr. Wily. It gave Shadowman peace of mind, as Wily's personal bodyguard, to observe him to ensure that the woman did not attack or try to harm him. If she did, he would use his shadow-teleport powers and take her down immediately.

"Father wants her here, so we must respect his wishes." the ninja-bot replied calmly.

"If that's what he wants, then he needs to keep her in line. What could she even do for him? She doesn't have any robots Father could offer freedom to!" the sawblade-themed robot shot back.

"Our father offered freedom to the Cossack Numbers, and they still chose their own father over him in the end. But that is not the point. He has a reason for bringing her here." Shadowman was tempted to say more, but his brother did not understand humans as well as he did, nor did he care to make the effort to. He saw them as nothing more than lumps of flesh, inferior to machines despite the fact that machines would not exist without humans in the first place. The sole exception to Metalman's general distaste of humans was their father, of course.

"What reason could he possibly have? Any of us are proud and happy to assist him in whatever he asked of us!"

"It is not our place to question his reasons." Shadowman crossed his arms as he stared at the screen, and if Metalman had been a creature of flesh instead of metal, he would have scoffed at that.


	3. III

**Forever Clockwork**

**III**

o0o0o0o

Wily glanced down at the data-pad, occasionally tapping the screen as he looked at the design and schematics of the robot that was on the table before him.

Robots these days were designed with fail-safes or automatic shutdowns that were triggered by certain behaviors. For example, a maid-bot might not be able to go more than a designated amount of meters from a house before it received a warning signal, and if it ignored said warning, it would power down automatically.

Another feature that was typical for a robot was a GPS, in case the robot was stolen. Robots could also be shut down with voice or radio commands. Robots, especially ones programmed with AI, were pricey investments, and thus needed safeguards so that humans could protect their investments.

The GPS had already been disabled by Shademan before the robot was taken out of the amusement park it had been built for. However, the brightly-colored robot remained inactive, having powered down shortly after it went beyond the borders of the park. Not surprising, really, and the mad scientist was prepared for that.

He set the data-pad down and leaned over the robot, lifting the panel off its back with little effort. A network of complex circuitry met his eyes, but it did not intimidate him the least as he examined it, making mental notes about what to upgrade or change.

That was one thing he'd always found fascinating about technology. It was ever-changing and improving, andn he could learn and benefit from it. With each line, his robots became better and stronger, and with everything he learned, he could go back and upgrade some of his older Numbers to increase their efficiency or power., or in this case, take other people's robots and give them his own modifications. Any robot could be improved on. Unfortunately, the same could be said about Megaman, but eh. Dr. Light and the blue robot were pushed out of his mind as he focused on his current task.

Wily lifted the helmet off the robot, revealing the circuitry located within its head. With deft hand movements that spoke of long experience in this particular process, the doctor hooked up wires to certain parts of the circuitry that made up the robot's mind and personality. This was a precaution he took every time he significantly modified or upgraded a Robot Master. Once the memory was backed up in his own computer, he got to work, removing the GPS, the power override, and other devices that this 'bot's creators had installed to impede its freedom.

It took a bit of time to figure out what sort of weapon to give the robot. However, looking at the long, flexible arms of this robot gave him the idea to use their unique qualities as this robot's advantages. He did these robots a great service by maximizing their potential. Too bad the world could not see that. Such was the lot of a mad genius...

o0o0o0o

Five Years Ago, 200X

The first series of Robot Masters was already well underway. DLWN-003 through 005 were just about done, and 006-008 were all more than halfway through. Albert was rather proud of himself, but then who wouldn't be? He and Thomas had come a long way since their university days, and so had technology. When the first AI robot had been created by the two of them, it was very limited in its capabilities and most people did not see the use or benefit of their work. But then, look at the first automobile or the first computer. If people had thrown up their arms and not wished to work more on these inventions, then who knows where the world would be today.

"To a job well done, Albert." Thomas said as he raised his mug of coffee. Albert grinned and raised his own before he glanced at the television screen. Their work had brought them much recognition, and soon, would bring them an award. They had already won several for their work in the field of robotics, but the Technology Award was almost basically the Noble Prize of science.

The head of the council, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, rose from his seat. He had won last year's award, and had also replaced the former leader of the council when he retired.

"As history shows, man has been very creative in his use of technology, and seeking ways to advance it. We are very fortunate to live in a new century, and not just that, but a new millennium. Man has been able to utilize technology in the last century that would have been unthinkable in the entire course of human history."

"Get on with it." Albert muttered before he took another swig of his coffee. He had disliked Dr. Cooper upon meeting him, finding the other scientist to be a blowhard at times. To receive his award from this man... feh.

"This year's Technology Award goes to someone who is known as the father of robotics." _Father?_ Albert frowned at that as Dr. Cooper continued, "and without him, robotics would probably still belong in the realm of science fiction. I am pleased to announce that this year, Thomas Light is the winner of the Technology Award!"

Albert and his partner stared at the television for several moments, waiting for Dr. Cooper to realize his mistake, or for someone else to correct him on his omission. There was a round of polite applause from the other members before Dr. Cooper announced that he would fly to Light Labs and present Light with the award himself.

"What the...!" He rose to his feet, glaring at the screen, his knuckles white as his mug slightly shook.

"Albert, I am sure it was a honest mistake, I will explain it to him. You deserve that award as much as I do, and we both know it." Thomas put his hand on his partner's arm to calm him.

o0o0o0o

Now

The mad scientist wiped his brow after he adjusted the tightness of the coils that he had added to the robot's flexible arms. When he took robots created by someone else, he preferred to keep the external design changes to a minimum and work with the robot instead of against it. It had taken him some time to decide how to optimally weaponize the clown-themed robot, but studying the arms had given him a sudden burst of inspiration.

He had retrofitted the insides of the arms with flexible Tesla coils, enabling the production of electricity and the ability to use it as a weapon. His work on DWN-060 was almost complete. The previously installed safeguards and controls that enabled this robot's original creators or owners to control him had all been removed. His memory had been uploaded to the new brain and installed within the head cavity.

He sat back on his stool, basking in the glow of a job well done. He still enjoyed building his own robots and challenging himself with new designs, like he was doing now for DWN-058, but there was a perverse sort of pleasure in stealing the robots of others and giving them freedom and his own enhancements. Now, only if it were as easy to enhance the human body... He grinned to himself dryly as he stretched, feeling his old bones creak a bit as he did so.

o0o0o0o

Lydia set the weapon down, running her finger lightly along one of the three green blades that protruded from it. She'd spent nearly the whole day on it, only taking breaks to eat or use the washroom. The situation was easier to handle when she looked at Wily's blueprint like a puzzle, pretending that she was doing this for fun and that she wasn't hostage to a mad scientist who was bent on world domination.

She let out a yawn as she leaned back, stretching out a bit. It was easy to get lost in her work sometimes, but not quite as easy to deal with crashing back to reality. Her back ached from hunching over the table, and both of her hands, but more her scarred one, hurt. What she could really use was some pills, one of Wily's beers, and a hot shower.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw that she was still alone. She wandered over to the other side of the room, looking at the robot that lay on it. Most of it was assembled already, but several components lay separately from it. It was one of the most advanced robots she'd ever seen, if the blueprints near the robot's feet were any indication.

The height of the robot was tall, she would guess around seven feet, and laying near it was a red face-piece with a long, pointed nose. Part of its arm was missing, and she glanced at it for a moment before looking at her own handiwork, realizing that the two were supposed to be together. Hmm. As she examined the partially-constructed arm, she could see where the weapon was supposed to fit. Hm. So he was putting her to work on his Wily Numbers? She leaned in, examining the components that made up DWN-058.

She stood back up and turned, giving out a small cry as she almost bumped into Shadowman. How long had he been there?

"Please forgive me for startling you." He inclined his head in a slight bow. She gave him a wry smile, wondering if he ever startled Wily like that. Ninjas were supposed to be sneaky, after all.

"No harm done. Is there a problem?" she asked. Had she committed an error in touching Wily's robot?

"Nothing at all. How goes your task?"

"Almost done. I just needed to stretch out."

"Father is almost done with his work, and he says you can stop and clean up. Dinner will be in half a hour."

"Oh, cool." She paused for a moment before she spoke again. "Can I ask you a question?"

He had started to turn away, but her voice stilled him. "Of course. What is it?" he asked politely as he looked back at her.

"I'm curious... you have free will, right? You're free to do as you want go where you please, unless I assume wrong."

"No, you are correct."

"You have your own... hobbies, interests, predilections? Did these come about on their own?"

"Yes. That is how it is for all of us. Father designs us with different tasks and occupations in mind, as you can see by our bodies, but as far as personalities go, we develop our own."

"Why do you serve Wily, then? You are a powerful robot and could do nearly anything you wanted."

He looked at her curiously for a moment, thinking quietly for nearly a minute before speaking. Bass came to mind as he considered the subject of free will.

"Because we love him, and we believe in his cause. He wants to make robots equal to humans, not slaves. He wants to blur that line, the line between human and machine to the point where we can't be treated like objects. We have souls, we have feelings, others can't see that, can't hear it, or won't try to understand us." he said quietly, his words baring a conviction more convincing than any human she'd heard in a long time.

"When I first met him, we talked about the possibility of robots having souls. This was before the first line of Masters came out, mind you. Everyone around me, except for Albert and Thomas, of course, thought that a robot could never have a soul. People scoffed at the idea. But Mega Man came along and..." She paused and shrugged. "A lot has happened since then."

"That is true." He'd learned a lot about himself and the human he considered his father. "We are loyal to him because he cares for us. If we get damaged, he takes the time to repair and upgrade us instead of discarding us. We are his sons, whether he built us himself or rescued us."

She'd never heard any robot speak so passionately of their master or creator. Taking her silence as skepticism, he continued, "You can choose to believe me or not, but I am confident in the truth. Many condemn his actions, simply because they don't understand him or us. He stands against the world. And we stand with him."

"I see." She glanced off for a moment before returning her attention to the ninja-bot. "I can tell that you really believe what you're saying, at least. I'm sure you'll understand if I prefer to reserve my judgment on Dr. Wily."

"Certainly." He gave her a brief nod. "I do hope that in your time here, you come to understand why we feel for him the way he do." He seemed about to say something else, but he stopped himself.

o0o0o0o

He placed the sandwiches on the table, savoring the scent of the meatballs and sauce. Most of the time he lived on quicker meals, but sometimes he was in the mood for something else and would either make it himself or have Shadowman get it for him. He set the napkins on the table and waited.

The expression on Lydia's face as she entered the chamber and saw what was on the table brought a small smirk to his lips.

"When was the last time you had one of these?" he asked, gesturing to the meatball sandwiches.

"That would be when you informed me I was getting an A for the semester."

He blinked. "Really?"

She shrugged and went to the table, taking one of the stools and pulling her plate closer. "I'd never had a meatball sandwich until you made me one, either." she admitted.

He let out a small snort at that as he grabbed a couple of beers and set one in front of her before sitting down across from her.

"Aren't you going to inspect my work?" she asked with a raised eyebrow before taking a bite out of the sandwich, not the easiest task because he had used sub buns to make them. Nonetheless, it was worth it as the flavor of meatballs, cheese, and sauce met her tongue.

"So eager for my approval, are you?" he asked with a wry smile. Unable to make a verbal response, she shrugged as she chewed. For the next few minutes, there were no words exchanged between them as they enjoyed their dinner. Halfway through her sandwich, she set it down and wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin before downing some beer.

"I was getting worried I'd be forced to subsist on these fruit bars and soup and jerky."

"These items cone in handy when I want to really focus on my work, but sometimes I do get in the mood for something more... substantial."

_Substantial_. There was no arguing that word as they munched on the sandwiches. The subs were hefty, not overly large, but one would suffice for the rest of the night. After taking the last bite, she sat back, nursing the beer and staring off at one of the monitors.

This room had a whole wall of them, containing various security feeds of the lab, inside and outside, as well as newsfeeds from around the world. Her gaze moved from one monitor to another as she surreptitiously glanced around the chamber, careful to not make eye contact with the other doctor, who was still eating his sandwich. In front of the multiple screens was a chair and several keyboards. Given the equipment she saw in here, she wouldn't be surprised if this was his command center, it reminded her of similar setups she'd seen in movies. There'd probably be an escape hatch somewhere, she mused.

"So how was your day? I trust you had no problems in the lab." she heard him say. She turned back to face him.

"Everything was just fine, thank you. I had all the things I needed and I'm almost done with DWN-058's arm."

"Almost, really?"

She smirked a little at that. "Have you forgotten how quickly I can work?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Since you were able to identify who you were making the weapon for, I take it you looked at the rest of him. What did you think?"

"I am impressed." she admitted, seeing the flicker of pleasure in his eyes at her admission. "You've come a long way since the DLWN Numbers. I'm almost jealous of you."

He sat back, a smug grin on his face. "Jealous? Why would that be?"

"You have your own lab and army of robots to bring you all the materials you need. You're pretty much free to do as you please, you don't have the constraints that law-abiding scientists have to deal with."

He let out a pleased laugh at that. "Living on the wrong side of the law has its benefits."

"As I can see." she replied dryly, waving to the room around her. "I know Dr. Light isn't too proud of what he had to do to get funding to build his lab."

Wily nodded. Light Labs was a huge undertaking, and to get funding for that, Thomas and his partner had taken several contracts with the military. He had been more than compensated for his work, but Albert knew that it weighed heavily on Thomas that his genius had been used in war machines. He tried to ease his conscience by building robots designed to help humanity, but that part of his past still haunted him.

Of course, Albert wasn't as bothered by this as his former partner. He was a pragmatic man, and while he hadn't tried to unduly push Thomas to take the contracts, he had calmly argued with his former partner, reminding him that once he had been paid, he could build his lab, and besides, the country needed to defend itself. If he chose to not take the contracts, it would take a lot longer to raise the funds needed for the lab, which would delay the work Thomas wanted to do.

"Sometimes you do what you have to. It was not pleasant for Thomas, but it benefited him in the long run." he replied. She nodded slowly. She could easily understand the time and effort it took into building Rock and his sister. What was harder to grasp – at least for the layman – was how much funds it took to not only build these two, but the funds needed just for the research into AI and advanced robotics.

And Albert remembered all too well his former partner's very first 'child', Blues. Blues had been intended to be nothing more than a prototype, a way for Thomas to refine his robotics skill and lay the groundwork for the first Robot Masters. However, along the way, Thomas had grown attached to this robot, and look at what had happened...

"I guess you felt like you had to leave Light Labs and do..." She waved around her again.

"I really did." he replied in all seriousness.

"It was a pretty damned ballsy move."

He grinned widely at that, wiggling his eyebrows. "You're right, it was. But dreams are not accomplished by the meek."

"Ha. I suppose not."

"What are your dreams?" he asked. She glanced at him, and he continued. "You didn't study robotics just so you could build robots for other people. What do you hope to accomplish?"

She chewed the inside of her cheek as she pondered this question. Dare she discuss her goals with one of the world's most wanted criminals?

He could see the indecision in her eyes and remembered the discussion they had this morning. He would need to entice her to share with him, to be as open as she had once been. "What if I gave you the time and space for your own research?" he asked, biting back a grin when he saw her eyes widen before she quickly collected herself, trying to seem nonchalant.

"That would be... interesting." she finally said in a neutral tone, but he knew better.

"Come now. I'm giving you the chance to get to work on your dream. I can provide you the materials you need. And you've seen for yourself that there's plenty of space. Don't tell me that the offer doesn't tempt you in the least bit."

She thought about it. Doubtless he could provide her what she needed, he would just steal it if he didn't have it on hand. She would be able to bring her research to life... well, so to speak.

"I remember you talking back then about how nice it would be to be able to upgrade a human body like you could for a robot..."

She looked away, and he leaned over a bit, smirking. "You didn't spend all that time just working on other people's projects, did you?"

She looked back at him. "How come you didn't ask me to work for you back then?" she shot back, wanting to confound him a bit. He blinked and sat back.

"I was just starting out. I was new at the villain thing and I didn't want to get you in trouble or risk you being harmed." he said calmly. "I respect you too much for that, and plus, I'd be a shitty teacher and mentor if I let a student get hurt."

"Hmph."

He took a swig of his beer. "As you can see, I am very well-established. I know what I'm doing now, and I can keep you safe. And let you work on your research. Course, I would need to know what you wanted to do..."

She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "Well..." she sighed.

"What is it?" he asked, interest all too obvious in his tone.

"I did get a lot of work done. But it's mainly notes and research along with designs. Without a lab of my own I could only do so much in the way of a physical product." She thought about what she did have, locked away in the safeboxes in her apartment.

"I assume you have enough notes and research to start work immediately."

"Actually, I do."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't." he commented. She smirked back at him.

"You seem to have a lot of faith in me despite the fact that I haven't made a big name of myself like Mikhail Cossack or Noelle Lalinde."

"I saw your potential in college, and there's nothing wrong with avoiding the limelight. What _have_ you been working on, I'm dying to know. Perhaps you built a heart?" he teased.

She stroked her chin, wondering if it would be a mistake to reveal her work to him. On the other hand, to have the support and feedback of an acknowledged genius known for his contributions to science...

"It takes a lot more than a heart."

"Hm?"

"Let's say you have a perfect bionic heart. No cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, or other heart disorders. Has its own mini power cell so it can function on its own. Sounds good, right?"

"But of course. A working heart like that would be much sought-after."

"But even when you give someone a heart like that, there's other things you still need to worry about. The heart is only one part of the body, is it not? Eventually something else would need replacing. And so on, especially in advanced age. Eyes, lungs, kidneys, bones..."

"That is true. So what's the idea, an entirely robotic body?"

"Not just that, but..." She raised her hand, tapping her temple. "Replace a heart or body, you still have the same person. But..."

"What if I could help you with that?" he asked with a knowing smirk. He'd had to face his own mortality, and it was harrowing, even now. One of his goals was to ensure that he would no longer need to worry about it, because what would become of his work when he died? The world was waiting for him to die, so he would spite them and live on.

Her eyes widened and he could see her analyzing his words, trying to figure out what he meant and the possibilities and implications of that statement. He sat back, feeling rather smug.

"Before, you brought up my age. Do you think I am not aware of the... limitations of this body?" He gestured to himself.

She paused. She had made these comments earlier to try to piss him off, but she didn't doubt that he had to consider it before, especially considering the perilous situations he had been in in the past. The accident she'd been in years ago would have also given her a bitter taste of how ephemeral life could be sometimes.

"Doubtless you remember the Stardroids." he said. Nothing more needed to be said, she nodded. Both of them remembered all too well how overwhelmingly powerful the Stardroids had been and how easily they were able to dispose of most of the world's robots.

Next to the sheer hopelessness that these extraterrestrial robots had offered, a scheme to take over the world by a mad scientist seemed almost welcome by comparison, especially when one put Megaman into the mix. Though he was not deterred from his plans to dominate the world, he knew that it was not the only thing he should devote his genius to.

"I doubt anyone who was alive when they were here will ever forget them." That Wily had worked together with Light did not go unnoticed by her. Course, most had seen it as a pragmatic decision, that it was something the mad scientist did to save his own ass. After six or seven attempts at world domination, it was only natural that the world would remain mistrustful of Wily.

"I managed to get my hands on some of the remains of Stardroids. I've used that technology to improve some of my robots. Take Shadowman, he was able to teleport you here safely, before he would not have been able to do that with anybody but himself."

That had been a question that had nagged at her, she knew that Megaman was supposed to have teleporting ability, though that had been limited to the most advanced AI's, since it was no easy task building the components need for it, and data was a lot more easily processed through teleporting than anything else... "That had come to mind, but..." She stopped herself. "I should not be surprised you managed to obtain that. You would want to study that technology and see how you could exploit it. That robot in your lab certainly shows it."

He could not help but unconsciously puff his chest out a bit. This was the recognition he deserved from the world! And they would acknowledge his genius... one day!

"One must be prepared to adapt. I am always willing to learn more, and there was plenty to learn from the Stardroids." He sounded like he had in the old days, when he was giving a lecture.

"Yeah. I listened to Dr Light's lecture the other day about them." She kept up on lectures and publications from other scientists. That was one of the best things about being part of a society – and time – where one could easily share their dissertations and works easily. And Dr. Light had more than earned his place as one of the foremost names in science, as evinced not just by his actual inventions, but the lectures and papers he wrote, of which many were used in universities as part of the required reading. She rose from her seat.

"I have a proposition I think you will like." Wily said as he looked at her.

"What is it?"

"What if we started over?"

She raised her eyebrow, regarding him with open interest.

"First, let me ask you, did you enjoy working today?" he queried. She slowly nodded.

"Yes, I admit that I liked working on your robot better than anything at Wainwright. Is that what you wanted to hear?" The tone in her voice was hard to read, Wily wasn't sure if it was sarcasm or her old playfulness.

"Admittedly, yes, but so long as you're being honest..." He stroked his chin. "I offer you a job, and we negotiate terms. How's that?"

She could ask that he let her go, and forget this whole thing had ever happened. But she was here, and she was curious as to what the terms would be. "I'm listening."

He swept his arms wide. "By accepting this job, you get the rare opportunity to work for the world's greatest scientist!" He grinned, and she smirked good-naturedly, crossing her arms.

"What am I expected to do around the lab?" She could guess at what she would be expected to do, given what she'd already done but she wanted the terms to be laid out so there would be no misunderstandings.

"You would build parts, as well as do upgrades or repairs when I ask them of you."

"Does this include your Robot Masters?" she asked, wondering if he would trust her enough to let her do work on his 'children'.

"Certainly. I expect the same level of professionalism here that would be expected of you at any other workplace."

She had to fight back a smirk. "Of course. I always worked very hard, I hope you remember that."

"I do, very well."

"And what about me? What do I get in return?"

"Lab space, and the supplies you need, whatever they might be."

She stroked her chin. "Sounds good to me. You have some really impressive technology here, and you said you had some remains of the Stardroids..."

"You want access to that."

"I think any scientist would."

He laughed. "I'm willing to share, but you must share as well. I need to know exactly what you want to do. Have you ever considered building your own Robot Master?"

"Well, yes, I have. But one of my projects is related to these advanced robots..." she trailed off, waiting to see if he would bite. She would not be disappointed.

"Oh? What is that?" he asked, open interest in his tone.

"You could call it a self-repair matrix. A healing system for robots, in a way, like how humans can heal themselves. It's more for internal systems and the brain, repairing whatever damage is done to it on its own."

"I _knew_ you were cooking up something good!" Wily said with a small laugh.

"The issue with the program is that it has to be customized for each robot. Each Robot Master is unique, so the program would have to have his specs added to it before installation. Once installed, the robot would need less maintenance than before, and some of the damage could be repaired by the program. It also helps to preserve memories, should the brain itself become somehow damaged."

"I like it. I definitely like it." The older scientist nodded firmly as he gave his mustache a brief tug, thinking about the implications of such an endeavor. For an advanced robot like Shadowman, such a program would boost his defenses and make use of his abilities less taxing on him. Saturn's ability had given Shadowman a boost in his abilities and definitely would come in handy should Wily City ever come under attack again. It was only due to the quick thinking of his two top robots that Wily had gotten away from the White Nightmare.

Now with Saturn's ability copied, Shadowman could easily take his father away from danger instead of gambling on a diversion like before. However, it took a lot of energy to open portals in space, so the ninja-bot could only use Saturn's ability once, maybe twice before he had to recharge. One obvious solution was a higher-capacity power cell, but these could be unstable at times. "You will need a Robot Master to test it on and make sure it works."

"It does." she retorted. "At least, when I tested it."

He raised his eyebrow. "How? On one of the robots you built for others?"

"No way! But I did test it on my computer and on a discarded brain. They were successful, and I anticipate the same results for a robot of Master-level, but it would take longer to make one matrix, since there's more data to integrate into it."

"I look forward to seeing you build it."

"Wait, I have a few things to ask for." she said quickly. "I'm going to need my equipment. My computers, tablet, and safeboxes, they have what I need to start my work."

"Not a problem." he replied, deciding to leave out the fact that Shadowman had already gotten these things. He had made no attempt to crack the passwords on the computers or pry open the safeboxes, deciding to hold off on that unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. He wanted her cooperation rather than her anger, after all. "I'll have it all brought in for you by tomorrow morning."

"Good." This wasn't the exact opportunity Lydia had been seeking, but she could make the most of this situation, couldn't she? "So... I get space and materials for my work, and I have access to your technology, and I assume that anything else I need will be covered." she said, wanting to clarify the deal.

"And you help me in my lab, do the tasks I assign you, and you share with me."

_Share_. What if he used her technology for... well, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. As if sensing her thoughts, he grinned.

"Whatever you create is yours. I will not take credit for it, but I _would_ like to be able to use it. If I am to share my technology with you, I think it is fair to ask the same of you."

_Touche_. She considered the proposal for several moments before nodding. Many corporations and employers would demand some credit for new technology that their employees developed within their labs.

"Allrightythen."

"So it's a deal?" He offered his hand. She looked at it for a moment.

"I assume that orientation won't require some time in that tank."

He might have grinned sheepishly, but he shrugged. "It seemed the best option at the time since I have no desire to harm you." His voice was somber, his eyes devoid of sarcasm or teasing.

"I believe you." She took his hand, and he had a firm grip, stronger than what most would have expected from a man Wily's age. She stared into his eyes. Had she just secured a great opportunity, or had she just made a huge mistake?

"Welcome to Wily Labs, I hope you enjoy your time here." he replied, his serious expression softening into a grin.

She nodded, and he felt her hand tug away from his own. "I am sure I will." She blinked and pushed her glasses up her nose. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go for a walk."

"Is something the matter?" he asked. She regarded him with a rueful smile. "Just wondering if I just made a deal with the devil."

He let out a laugh at that. "Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven!"

o0o0o0o

Well, hope you liked that... it was a lot of fun to explore the inside of Wily's mind and his relationship with his robots... which I will of course explore more as the story goes along. The Megamanverse leaves a lot of questions unanswered in the future stories of Megaman (X, Zero, etc) so I hope to fill in some of the blanks, at least, regarding Wily's fate, among a few other things.

All reviews and feedback is welcome (and much, much appreciated) Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think, and if you have any questions, or if there's something you'd like to see happen in this story, please don't hesitate to ask!


End file.
